When your kids are at a healthy weight, you can reduce their risk of developing obesity-related:

• heart disease
• stroke
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• possibly some types of cancers
• arthritis

Making changes at home can have an enormous influence on healthy eating for children and how much physical activity they will get.   Using the helpful hints of 5-2-1-0, your child can begin to adopt healthy habits that will be useful to them as they grow.  Another way to show your child the benefits of 5-2-1-0 is to be a role model for them! 

Nutrition
What do kids eat? What you feed them!

Use 5-2-1-0 as your guide for healthy living for the whole family.

If YOU stick to 5-2-1-0, you and your kids can reduce your risk of developing obesity-related:

• heart disease
• stroke
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• possibly some types of cancers
• arthritis

Here are some ideas to help you and your child eat healthy meals at home:

• Plan your meals ahead (clip coupons when you can). Planning helps you avoid buying unhealthy foods on impulse.
• Have your kids help you to prepare the meals.
• Don’t shop when you’re hungry—you are more likely to buy too many snacks.
• Visit http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/planner/launchPage.aspx to get started.
• Look at your cart—is it loaded with fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods … or not?

Physical Activity
Getting fit can be fun!
It’s important for kids to see their parents eat healthy and get fit. Try a new activity this weekend for the whole family to do—use the links and tips from this site. There are many safe ways to increase active play inside and outside, depending on the different seasons and weather.

Click here for fun games children can play

Screen Time
When you were your child’s age, what did you do?
Spend hours in front of the TV or computer? No—you went outside and played. You made up games with your friends. Find safe ways for your kids to be active indoors and outdoors.

Here are some tips on how to limit “screen time”:

• Make a family pledge to limit “screen time” to 2 hours or less per day
• Try to limit eating in front of the TV or computer
• Try to designate the bedroom for sleeping and don’t put a TV in your room or your child’s
• American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under age 2 not watch TV

Click here for fun games children can play