Exploring MyPyramid with Professor Popcorn

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Exploring MyPyramid with Professor Popcorn Dear Parents and Caregivers, In this lesson your child learned the importance of eating vegetables. Vegetables provide our body with needed vitamins. Vitamins help our eyes see normally in the dark, promotes the growth and health of cells throughout our body, protects us from infections, heal cuts and wounds, and work as an antioxidant..

The color of the vegetable gives us a clue to the amount of vitamins they contain. The dark green, deep yellow or orange, and red vegetables have more vitamins than the pale-colored vegetables. Vary Your Vegetables to get the most bene$t.

Sincerely, Did You Eat Your Colors Today? Eat foods from every color every day. Be sure to move your body every day.

Orange is for Grains Green is for Vegetables Red is for Fruits Blue is for Milk Purple is for Meat and Beans Vary Your Veggies How much should you eat? Children 6 to 12 years old should eat 2 cups of vegetables every day. Adults who are moderately active should eat 2½ cups of vegetables every day.

1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables = 1 cup of vegetables 1 cup of vegetable juice = 1 cup of vegetables 2 cups of ... more. less.

raw leafy greens = 1 cup of vegetables Step Place a rainbow of vegetables on your plate. Here are some suggestions for parents: " Serve raw vegetables with dip. They 9re often more popular with children than cooked vegetables. " Shop for vegetables with your child, talking about how a vegetable grows and the different forms you see (canned, fresh, frozen) will encourage your child 9s curiosity. " Grow some vegetables together. Patio tomatoes are great if garden space isn 9t available; gardening on any scale builds excitement. " Enjoy vegetables yourself. Let your family see that healthful foods can be a happy part of meals and snacks. Bun Buggies 1 serving 1 three-inch Kaiser roll or oblong shaped roll 2 tablespoons low-fat vegetable dip 1 straw 1 small pretzel 2 thin sliced carrots (long enough to stick outside the bun) 2 cherry tomatoes 4 cucumber slices 1 broccoli ,ower 2 toothpicks 1 celery stick 2 green olives 1 baby carrot 1. Cut a round section out of the center of the top bun for the inside of the car. Be careful to leave a ,oor in the car. 2. The straw is your tool. Push it through the bun horizontally to make holes for the axles. Slide the thin carrots through the holes. 3. Take the straw and make holes in the center of the cucumbers. These will be the wheels. Slide them onto the carrots. 4. Put the green olives on as headlights using the toothpicks to hold them in place. 5. Spoon the dip into the car. Place the pretzel in the dip as the steering wheel, the cherry tomatoes are the driver and passenger. 6. Place the broccoli, celery, and baby carrots in the back seat. Enjoy! Children love these! In accordance with Federal law and US Department of Agriculture 9s policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To >le a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Ind ependence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Material funded by USDA SNAP. USDA is an equal opportunity provider. SNAP provides food assistance to people with low income. F or information, call 1-888-369-4777 Parents are responsible for planning and preparing nutritious meals and snacks. Children are responsible for what they eat, how much, and even whether they eat. Adapted from Ellyn Satter, How to Get Your Kids to Eat...But Not Too Much Nutrition Facts: One serving provides 340 calories, 10g total fat, 5mg cholesterol, 780mg sodium, 52g total carbohydrate Resource: Better Homes and Gardens Silly Snacks Cookbook Resource: http://www.mypyramid.gov; Professor Popcorn, Purdue University Information in this parent letter is for educational purposes only. Contents of this publication may be freely reproduced for e ducational purposes. Developed by Susan Bilderback, Family Nutrition Program, Program Assistant, K-State Research and Extension - Riley County.

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