Help Me Be Healthy – I am 4
Help me learn to eat only when I’m hungry
- I know if I am hungry or full. Let me stop eating when I have had enough. Don’t force me to eat or “clean my plate.”
- I like to make some choices. You know what foods I need to be healthy. Offer them to me for meals and snacks. Let me choose which ones to eat.
- Don’t worry if I don’t eat a meal or snack. I will eat more on some days than on others. Don’t beg me to eat or x other foods for me. Do not let me eat unhealthy foods between meals.
Offer me small amounts and let me ask for more.
Offer me safe foods
- Give me foods that are bite sized and easy enough for me to chew.
- Stay close when I try foods. I can choke on: raw hard vegetables, grapes, nuts, popcorn, dried fruits, hot dogs, and pieces of meat.
- Cut grapes and hot dogs the long way. Spread peanut butter thinly on bread or crackers.
Teach me how foods help me grow and learn
- Grains give me energy to grow and think.
- Vegetables and fruits help my body fight germs and stay healthy.
- Milk builds strong bones and teeth.
- Meat and beans make strong blood and muscles.
Make our family meals relaxed
- Let’s wash our hands together before and after we eat.
- I like being your helper. I can put spoons, forks, and napkins on the table.
- I feel proud when I sit and eat with our family. I can eat the same foods.
- You are my favorite teacher! Show me how you eat many healthy foods. I will copy you!
- I feel grown up when I serve myself. I will learn how much to take.
- Please turn off all our TVs and cell phones so we can talk more and enjoy our food.
Every day offer me:
Grains
4-5 servings of grain
1 slice bread or tortilla
½ cup cooked cereal, rice, or noodles
1 cup cold cereal
5 to 7 small crackers
Half the grains I eat should be whole grains.
Vegetables
3-4 servings of vegetables
- ½ cup vegetables
- ½ cup vegetable or tomato soup
- 4 ounces vegetable or tomato juice
- 1 cup fresh salad greens
Offer me a dark green or orange vegetable every day.
Fruits
2-3 servings of fruits
- ½ cup fruit
- 4 ounces 100% fruit juice
Offer me a vitamin C fruit every day— oranges, strawberries, or WIC juice.
No more than 4 ounces of juice a day.
Protein
3-5 servings of protein
- ¼ cup meat, chicken, turkey, or fish
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup beans or tofu
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Beans, meat, chicken, turkey, and fish, give me lots of iron to keep my blood strong.
Dairy
5 servings of dairy
- 4 ounces nonfat or 1% milk
- ½ cup lowfat yogurt
- 1 slice lowfat cheese
No more than 16 ounces of milk a day.
WIC gives me lowfat milk. It’s what I need.
Fats, Oils & Sweets
Only a little bit
Let’s eat
Breakfast
1 scrambled egg with 1 slice lowfat cheese
1 slice whole grain bread
4 ounces orange juice
Morning Snack
½ cup lowfat vanilla yogurt with 1/4 cup crushed pineapple
4 ounces water
Lunch
Tuna sandwich: ¼ cup tuna salad 2 slices whole grain bread lettuce
6 baby carrots
4 ounces nonfat or 1% milk
Afternoon Snack
½ cup pear slices
2 graham cracker squares
4 ounces nonfat or 1% milk
Dinner
1 cup chili with beans
½ cup squash
1 corn tortilla
4 ounces nonfat or 1% milk
Evening Snack
1 oatmeal raisin cookie
4 ounces water
I can help you in the kitchen
- Let me rinse fruits and vegetables.
- I can mash soft fruits and vegetables.
- Can you help me measure dry ingredients
- I can learn to crack eggs and stir batter.
I feel good when I help you. I will probably eat better too!
Let’s play
- I like to play at home. Please make it safe for me.
- We can dance together and have fun.
- I like to play games with my friends like hopscotch and follow-the-leader.
- Teach me to share and take turns. Praise me when I play well with others.
- I love when we read together. Let’s walk to the library and get some books.
- I like to tell stories. Let’s make a storybook with our own words and pictures.
Keep me safe and healthy
- Buckle me into my car seat or booster seat when we drive.
- Take me to my doctor for a checkup. Ask how I am growing. I might need a shot or a lead test.
- Put sunscreen on me when I play outside.
- Teach me to wash my hands often.
- Always watch me around water.
- Limit my screen time to 1 or 2 hours a day.
- Keep me away from tobacco smoke, matches, and lighters.
Help me keep my teeth healthy
- Take me to the dentist every 6 months.
- Remind me to brush my teeth every morning and night. Then you brush them to be sure they are clean.
- I still need a small toothbrush and a pea size amount of fluoride toothpaste. Make sure I spit out the toothpaste after brushing.
- Please help me floss my teeth once a day to clean between them.
- I’d like a new toothbrush that’s just for me. This is one thing I should not share.
- Give me water to drink when I am thirsty.
Sugar drinks can give me cavities.
Utah WIC Program 1-877-WIC-KIDS
or 1-877-942-5437