Parents Page
Project Healthy Schools welcomes you to the Parents' Page! On this page look for a current easy, nutritious recipe, timely, healthy lifestyle information and links to give you more detailed information on the the same topic. Just below the current information is information from earlier this school year.
It's summer time and that means children are looking for things to do. Our local parks have trails, pools, boating opportunities and more so check them out. Also, encourage your children to spend at least an hour outside every day riding their bike, playing games, using that skateboard or scooter, anything that keeps them active and moving! Could they plan a neighborhood field day? How about getting a group together two days a week for a soccer, softball or kickball game? Share with them some of the games you enjoyed playing when you were young and then play that game with them. At dinner talk about the day's activities and what is planned for the next day. Make activity a priority this summer at your house!
Turn It Off: Limiting Screen Time
Try These Recipes
Looking for a recipe that is quick, easy, and nutritious? This summer treat can be a dessert or a snack. Include whatever locally grown fruit is in season!
Parfaits Ingredients:
• Yogurt, low fat or fat free, vanilla or flavored
• Berries or any fruit, fresh or frozen, cut into small pieces
• Granola or Mueseli-type cereal, low fat
Directions: Layer a scoop of each of the ingredient into a clear glass or cup. Repeat if you have enough room left. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon, if desired! Enjoy!
Tip: This good-for-you snack is rich in vitamin D, C and/or A, and calcium.
- Karen Smyer's Black Bean Pizza (PDF)
- MFit Trail Mix (PDF)
- Ham & Turkey rollup recipe (PDF)
Looking for some new recipes? Visit this website for Heart healthy Minestrone Soup to Old Fashioned Bread Pudding.
Looking for more information?
Get reliable information about what foods are better choices than others, ideas on how to get moving or new snack tipsat this website: Scholastic/wecan
Vary Your Veggies and Focus on Fruits
Make it a goal to have everyone in your family eat fruits and vegetables every day!
Eating fruits and vegetables can help everyone be healthy.
- Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of many nutrients, including vitamins A and C, potassium, and dietary fiber. Eat a variety since different colors have different nutrients.
- Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and do not contain cholesterol.
- Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections.
- Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy.
- Fiber keeps food moving through the digestive tract.
- Dark green and orange vegetables are important to eat. Most people don’t get enough of these!
- French fries, which make up one-fourth of all vegetables eaten by elementary school students, are an exception. They are high in fat and calories. A medium order of fries has 460 calories, more than one-fourth the total daily calorie intake appropriate for most 8- and 9-year olds.
Vary your veggies. Most people do not eat enough vegetables, especially dark green and orange vegetables. Include broccoli, collard greens, dark green leafy, lettuce, kale, romaine lettuce, spinach, butternut squash, carrots, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes more often. Vegetables have vitamins and minerals that are important for a healthy body.
Focus on fruits. Variety is important. Try to eat different colors of fruit such as oranges, cantaloupes, strawberries, grapes, and blueberries. Juice drinks should be small portions and 100% juice.
What’s a better choice?
Baked sweet potato or French fries?
Explanation: Baked sweet potato is an orange vegetable full of vitamins and minerals and it
doesn’t need butter or sugar to taste good! The French fries are also potatoes, but they are fried
and have a lot of fat.
Peach or Peach pie?
Explanation: Fresh peaches are in their most natural form and have a lot of vitamins and
minerals. A slice of peach pie has less than one peach and has a lot of added sugar and fat.
Looking for more information?
Check out MyPyramid for Kids worksheet tells how much fruits and vegetables healthy kids need.
Looking for information about a specific fruit or vegetable, a recipe, serving sizes, anything about fruits and veggies?
How do you fit in those veggies? Get some great ideas.
Veggies (PDF)
Source: http://www.mypyramid.gov
2/22/2009
What a great resolution because that means there is lots of family fun, smiles and good conversation ahead in addition to a healthier body. Why not make this part of your 2009? Start small. Set aside a specific time each week for family activity time. Then plan what you will do. Make it fun and include everyone in the family! The next week, do the same thing again or plan a new family event. Remember to make this event as important as other things on your calendar. After all, isn't it important to teach your children that moving their bodies is an important and lifelong habit that you want them to learn now. Plus it helps you get in more activity. The recommendation is for children to get 60 minutes of active play and adults to get at least 30 minutes of activity most days of the week.
Having a hard time thinking of how to get started? Think of 3 things you can do to get your family moving. Check out the list of community activities below or think about taking the dog out for a walk or walking with your child to school. Do you have a gym or Y membership? Choose a date and time and go every week, no excuses. Pick a time when there's something for you and the kids to do or go to family swim time. Is there a park near you? Check to see if there is skating, hockey, cross country skiing or trails to walk on. Look through the list of possibilities for indoor and outdoor activities after the More Tips section below. Choose what you want to do and then do it!
More Tips
- Check out We Can! for great ideas on how to get more active and live a healthier lifestyle.
- Children's Activity Pyramid shows what type of exercise and how much is optimal!
- See what the American Heart Association says about getting more active and find some easy ways to get started.
- Team Nutrition activity book is all about getting more activity and eating healthy foods.
- Team Nutrition provides lots of resources for idea on how to increase physical activity..
- Tips and Tools To Help Implement Michigan's Healthy Food and Beverages Policy (PDF)
- Party Games
- School Solutions (PDF)
- Healthy Celebrations (PDF)
- Food as Rewards (PDF)
- Five Tasty Ways to Enjoy Smart Nutrition at School (PDF)
- Healthy Lunch Makeover (PDF)
- Ways to Get Active (PDF)
Find out more:
- Ann Arbor Schools menus
- Ypsilanti Schools menus
- National School lunch program information
- School Nutrition Association information about hot lunch
- Tips on packing healthy lunches from Nemours Foundation
- Fun ideas for cool lunches
More Information for Parents
If you want to learn more about PHS at your child’s school, choose the Participating Schools tab at the top of the page.
Please contact the Project Healthy Schools wellness coordinator, below, who works with your child’s school if you have questions or concerns.
Clague and Forsythe Middle Schools, Ann Arbor Open School
Susan Aaronson, R.D., M.S.
734-975-3032
susaaaro@umich.edu
Scarlett and Tappan Middle Schools
Lindsey Mitchell, M.P.H.
734-975-7440
lseyfert@umich.edu
Slauson, East and West Middle Schools
Cathy Fitzgerald, R.D., M.A.
734-975-3060
cfitz@umich.edu
