For Preschools & Child Care Providers
The first years of life are a critical time for the development of lifestyle behaviors; we seek to partner with preschools and child care providers in our area to provide assistance in making these formative years fun and healthy. Preschools and child care providers have an opportunity to help develop healthy lifestyle behaviors through education, role modeling, providing opportunities and creating environments that make healthy choices attractive, appealing, easy, and fun!
Here are some ways preschool teachers and child care providers can support healthy lifestyles:
- Provide children with opportunities to try new fruits and vegetables
- Avoid pressuring children to try foods; let it be their choice
- Provide children with opportunities to develop relationships with fruits and vegetables through gardens
- Limit recreational screen time
- Avoid using food (healthy or not) as rewards
- Include opportunities for physical activity in daily routines
- Avoid serving sugar-sweetened beverages (including 100 percent fruit juice and flavored milks)
- Provide access to water