Creating a Healthy Family

       Food & Recipes

     Support a Healthy School Environment

         Nutrition and Your Health

     Tips for Toddlers

Creating a Healthy Family  

YMCA's Healthy Family Home - Tips to achieve the five pillars of a healthy family home: eat healthy, play daily, get together, go outside and sleep well.

Spend Smart Eat Smart - An interactive website for money-saving grocery planning, shopping, and preparing healthy food.

Kidnetic.com for Parents - Provides ideas and tips for getting the whole family involved in making healthier lifestyle choices.

Team Up at Home: Team Nutrition Activity Booklet - Teaches parents and children about MyPyramid in a fun and interactive way.

Building Healthy Families - Step-by-Step Video Series – a six part video series with supporting materials to help families create healthy home food environments. Available in English and Spanish.

KidsEatRight.org - a source for scientifically-based health and nutrition information you can trust to help your child grow healthy.

Action for Healthy Kids Family Corner - Family Corner is here to help your family live a healthy, active life. Parents, caregivers and other family members can make simple changes that go a long way in helping their children learn to eat right and be active every day at home and school.

Food & Recipes

Healthy Dining Finder - a selection of Kids LiveWell menu choices. The Kids LiveWell choices emphasize lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy, as well as meet stringent nutritional criteria.

Get on the Grain Train! - Meet your dietary guidelines for whole grains! Take the whole grain test - are you getting enough?

Heart Healthy Latino Recipes - Provides recipes for 26 easy to prepare Latino dishes. Includes healthy food substitutions and nutrient analyses.

Make it Quick and Easy Recipes - A great menu and recipe planning tool for in-home child care providers or parents. (USDA)

Fruits & Veggies – Get your family to eat more fruits and veggies with these recipes and tips.

Vegetarian Nutrition - Practical tips for providing a healthy vegan diet for your family, with information specifically geared towards young children.

Food Assistance – Get help buying the food your family needs for good health.

The Kids Cook Monday toolkit (pdf) – Make cooking and eating together your first priority every Monday – and keep the family dinner tradition, and our children, alive and well! The toolkit shows parents how easy it is to get started – with kitchen tasks for different age groups, hygiene and safety guidelines and nutrition games.

Support a Healthy School Environment

Parent's Guide to School Wellness Policies – Learn how you can help support your school's wellness policy..

Action for Healthy Kids – A volunteer network fighting childhood obesity and undernourishment by helping schools become healthier places.

Create Healthy, Active Celebrations – A guide to healthy party planning for schools and home including food and age-appropriate games and activities.

Promoting Healthy Youth - This toolkit will help parents impact the nutrition and physical activity environment in schools.

Nutrition and Your Health

KidsHealth – Learn how to keep your child healthy from head to toe. 

Food Allergies – USDA fact sheets and resources about food allergies.

Diabetes and Kids - Information, resources and support for kids with diabetes.

Eating Disorders – Information, resources and support for eating disorders.

U of IL Extension Nutrition & Health - Researched-based information for living a healthier lifestyle.

Alliance for a Healthier Generation – At school, at home, at the doctor, in the community - creating a healthy environment for your kids.

Kids' BMI Calculator – this tool helps determine if a child is at a healthy weight for his or her age, height and gender.

Asian Language Nutrition and Physical Activity Resources - Cambodian, Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Laotian, Vietnamese, English

Tips for Toddlers

MyPyramid for Preschoolers - This USDA web site offers advice to parents and caregivers on helping their children develop healthy eating habits.

Nibbles for Health - A nutrition newsletter for parents of young children.

Nutrition for Kids (24 Carrot Press) - a newsletter, handouts, stickers, books, and games for kids.

Disney Family: Preschool - Ideas for raising a healthy child.

Healthy Fast-Food for Preschoolers - Vegetarian options for quick and easy meals, snacks and everything in between.

Games!