STEPHANIE HILTON SEWELL earned her bachelor of science degree from Western Carolina University. She is certified through American Fitness Professionals and Associates as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and nutrition and wellness consultant. The Presia A nutrition and wellness consultant leads parents through a fun and informative four-week journey on how to teach toddlers about making healthy food choices. With obesity on the rise in America, it is more important now than ever for parents to make wise and healthy decisions for their children. In her guidebook Fit Happens with Nutrition, certified nutrition and wellness consultant Stephanie Hilton Sewell guides both seasoned and novice parents through a four-week learning process that teaches how to incorporate good nutritional habits while transitioning toddlers from baby food to table food. As the mother of a toddler herself, Sewell knows all too well that habits children are exposed to during their first five years can set the stage for the rest of their lives. Through her extensive research on diet and nutrition for toddlers, Sewell leads parents on a fun, in-formative journey that teaches how to successfully introduce little ones to nutritious foods through colors of the rainbow, various shapes, different textures and assorted tastes. It is never too early to build a foundation for a lifetime of healthy choices. In Fit Happens with Nutrition! Sewell offers valuable lessons for every parent who is truly committed to providing their children with the tools to make healthy eating choices for the rest of their lives. ent's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) has chosen Stephanie Hilton Sewell to receive a 2010 PCFSN Community Leadership Award. The award is given annually to individuals who improve the lives of individuals within their community by providing or enhancing opportunities to engage in sports, physical activities

Fit Happens with Nutrition!

Four Weeks of Success for Every ToddlerBy Stephanie Hilton Sewell

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Stephanie Hilton Sewell
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-4221-0

Contents

Introduction.......................................................................................xiThe Reason Behind My Madness!......................................................................xiiiLearn Your ABCs: A Bullying Chapter................................................................xvWeek 1: Colors of the Rainbow......................................................................1Day 1: Make This a Red-Color Day!..................................................................2Day 2: Let's Sing the Blues, Baby!.................................................................3Day 3: Let's Go Green!.............................................................................4Day 4: Life's an Orange ... It's So A-Peeling!.....................................................5Day 5: Hello, Yellow!..............................................................................6Day 6: Bringing It All Together....................................................................7Day 7: Sharing Is Caring...........................................................................8Week 2: What Is Your Shape?........................................................................9Day 8: Round.......................................................................................10Day 9: Square......................................................................................11Day 10: Big and Little.............................................................................12Day 11: Little and Big.............................................................................13Day 12: Odd Shapes.................................................................................14Day 13: Bringing It All Together...................................................................15Day 14: Sharing and Caring.........................................................................16Week 3: Texture and Taste..........................................................................17Day 15: Crunchy....................................................................................18Day 16: Mushy......................................................................................19Day 17: Sweet......................................................................................20Day 18: Salty......................................................................................21Day 19: Bitter.....................................................................................22Day 20: Bringing It All Together...................................................................23Day 21: Sharing and Caring.........................................................................24Week 4: Food Groups................................................................................25Day 22: Protein....................................................................................26Day 23: Beans......................................................................................27Day 24: Grains.....................................................................................28Day 25: Vegetables.................................................................................29Day 26: Fruits.....................................................................................30Day 27: Bringing It All Together...................................................................31Day 28: Sharing and Caring.........................................................................32About the Author...................................................................................33Appendix I Nutrition Facts and Serving Size........................................................35Appendix II Glossary and Basic Body Poses..........................................................37Appendix III Additional Resources from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/index.html.....................39

Chapter One

WEEK 1: Colors of the Rainbow

Welcome to Week 1! Colors are all around your little one, and each day brings those colors into clearer focus. That's lemon yellow, mud-pie brown, and every color in between. Each day of this week will be devoted to a specific color and examples you will easily find around the house, in your own pantry, or along one of the aisles in your favorite grocery store.

Day 1: Make This a Red-Color Day!

Let's kick things off with a little excitement! Introducing your little one to healthy, nutritious food is an important milestone you can achieve on a daily basis. Today, we'll set the tone with the color red and encourage eating a few delicious fruits and vegetables: juicy strawberries and red grapes, crisp red onions, sweet red beets and pomegranates, garden-fresh tomatoes, red-skin potatoes, and mouth-watering watermelon.

These wonderful reds are packed with antioxidants, the "security guards" that keep our cells from getting damaged by disease-causing bacteria. In today's delicious red harvest, the antioxidants can help the body fight off several forms of cancer and heart disease.

Begin by showing your child the actual fruit or vegetable. Hold it in your hand, and then let your child hold it. Allow your child to explore its size and shape. This will hold your child's attention while you work at the kitchen counter to slice a piece for tasting.

Next, place the whole fruit or vegetable next to the sliced pieces and begin your tasting time. Use descriptions while you share the experience with your child: Look at the juicy red strawberry! The slices look like little red hearts. Don't they taste sweet?

It's very important that your child sees you enjoying the tasting experience. Children are natural mimics, and during the toddler and preschool years, they imitate the actions of their siblings, their peers, and the adults who are closest to them. For fruits and vegetables you haven't tasted before or you feel a little unsure about trying, this is a great time to try something new and share a wonderful experience with your child.

Healthy Tip: Reinforce the tasting time by taking a trip to the library and finding books about fruits and vegetables, or books that feature fruits and vegetables as characters.

Day 2: Let's Sing the Blues, Baby!

Any chance to share a positive experience with your child is something worth singing about, so let's sing the blues ... more like the blues and the purples, to be exact!

Introduce your child to a handful of fresh blueberries, ripe purple plums, delicious raspberries and blackberries, purple grapes and raisins, eggplant, and figs (the real thing). Studies have shown that these dark blue and purple fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants. As we discussed on Red-Color Day, the little security guards in these fruits and vegetables also protect our cells from damage, help the brain's memory center to stay healthy, and protect against cancer and heart disease.

For today's tasting time, most of these fruits are great for little hands to hold. They also make excellent counting tools! Describe the fruit and encourage your child to sample it at the same time: Let's eat these three yummy little blueberries! One yummy...