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A Fun Way to Teach Your Kids about Nutrition

March 25, 2016 by Susan

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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Understanding which foods are “healthy” can be confusing — even for adults. So we think it’s important to start teaching our kids at a young age what good nutrition actually means. In this sponsored post, we’re sharing tips on how to brush up your own knowledge of nutrition facts and a fun way to teach your kids about nutrition.

Focus on the Facts - Nutrition Facts


 

Did you know that Janice and I are Canadian? To be honest, we often feel like Americans since we only live a few minutes from the border, most of our blogging friends are American and we blog about American products so often. We even owned a US corporation with online toy stores for six years. Basically, the US/Canadian border is blurred for us.

But, Janice and I are proud to be Canadian. We love the jokes about how all Canadians are ridiculously polite and constantly say, “Sorry” (insert accent here.) We both live up to those stereotypes. As Canadians, we’re proud of our new Prime Minister and we’ll always be thankful for our free medical.

And now we’re thrilled that jointly the Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC), Health Canada, Retail Council of Canada (RCC), and the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) are working to spread a message to Canadians to “Focus on the Facts” and learn to use the Nutrition Facts table (NFt) to make informed food choices.

Focus on the Facts - Nutrition Facts

In this post, we’re talking about the Canadian Nutrition Facts table (NFt), but the ideas and inspiration for teaching your kids about nutrition is just as applicable for our friends south of the border.

Let me first say…

There will always be different opinions and arguments over the best foods to eat. But if you put aside the battles over extremes such as going paleo or vegan, and focus on the basic facts of the foods you’re eating, you can work on improving your nutrition without getting overwhelmed or discouraged.

I also want to clarify, I’m not putting down paleo or vegan diets. My mom has been on a strict paleo diet for about 4 years and has had great success with it. And of course most vegans are far healthier than I am, so I’m not against a vegan diet either. It’s just that both those diets take extreme willpower and effort to follow.

Get on Board Yourself and Learn the Facts

One of the great side effects of becoming a parent is that you end up taking better care of yourself in order to lead by example and ensure you’re around long enough to see your grandchildren grow up.

Focus on the Facts - Learning about Nutrition

Understanding and practicing good nutrition is one of the most important areas that we can improve to achieve both those goals.

So as part of teaching your kids about good nutrition, you’ll want to ensure you know your facts about how to read nutrition labels.

For a brush up, take a look at the Canada.ca/NutritionFacts site now.

Focus on the Facts - Nutrition Facts Website

Make Learning about Nutrition Fun

Kids love to do detective work… especially if you give them a magnifying glass.

Focus on the Facts - Magnifying Glass

We received a fun Sherlock Holmes hat, magnifying glass, dry erase chart and a set of sample food cans and boxes to practise reading Nutrition Facts tables.

When you spice up learning a little, it’s a lot more exciting.

My girls loved the hat and the got into the game of playing detective to figure out which foods were healthier.

Focus on the Facts - Detective Work

We went through the sample items and then took a look at some of the food in our cupboards.

Focus on the Facts - Looking at Nutrition Facts Tables

Focus on the Facts - Chart

You can do the same exercise with your kids.

Take out a selection of cans and boxes of food from your cupboards and take a look at the labels and talk about what makes food healthy or unhealthy.

Focus on the Facts - Nutrition


 

What is the Nutrition Facts table (NFt)

You can use the Nutrition Facts table (NFt) to make better food choices by starting with the Serving Size and then looking at the Percent Daily Value (% DV).

The Nutrition Facts table (NFt) can help you pick foods that have more of the nutrients you want like fibre and calcium, and less of those you don’t want, like saturated and trans fats and sodium.

Make sure you first look at the Serving Size. It can be deceptive!

Focus on the Facts Website

Look for the header “Nutrition Facts” and here’s what you need to do…

  1. Start with Serving Size,
  2. Then look at Percent Daily Value (% DV) on the right side of the NFt,
  3. Then use the % DV to see if the Serving Size has a little or a lot of a nutrient. (5% DV or less is a little and 15% DV or more is a lot.)

How to use Serving Size and % Daily Value

You can use the Interactive Tools on the Canada.ca/NutritionFacts website to help you and your kids practise using serving size and % daily value to determine the best foods to choose.

Interactive Tool - How to Compare Foods with Nutrition Facts Tables

Make Good Choices Together as a Family

It is easier and more fun to eat healthy and make good lifestyle choices as a team. So get your whole family on board and “focus on the facts”.

Learn more about how to read the Nutrition Facts table and its benefits by visiting Canada.ca/NutritionFacts.

Share With Your Friends

We’d love, love, love a tweet or a pin… Thanks so much! 🙂

[Tweet “Here’s a fun way to teach your kids about nutrition…”]

A Fun Way to Teach Your Kids About Nutrition

 
Nutrition Facts Interactive Tool

Fun way to teach your kids about nutrition

 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored so extra thanks for reading and sharing.
Written by Susan Carraretto, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom
Talk with me: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom
Pin with me at pinterest.com/5minutesformom

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About Susan

Susan Carraretto and her identical twin, Janice Croze, created 5 Minutes for Mom in 2006. Susan loves all social media, but her top addiction these days is Pinterest.

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5 Comments

  1. Roma Wilson says

    March 29, 2016 at 4:08 pm

    “it’s just that both those diets take extreme willpower and effort to follow”
    –
    I don’t know about a paleo diet (although I do know about the lack of proof regarding its health claims).
    However, veganism doesn’t require extreme willpower or effort, much less if it’s just a vegan diet and not a whole lifestyle. The myth of extreme willpower or effort is just an excuse to simply avoid a change that’s inconvenient for a palate which was educated by the meat, fish and dairy industry (singular, since they are basically all the same, at the end).
    Please, let us take care not to claim that veganism is something which is not. It’s hard enough to fight against the lies of the aforementioned industry, as it is.

    Reply
  2. Jeffrey says

    March 27, 2016 at 8:20 am

    My daughter and I have been learning to cook with an air fryer and I’ve been taking the opportunity to explain why it is worth it to cook this way over a deep fryer or even pan fried. It is amazing what our little ones learn when we take the time to explain things to them.
    Jeff

    Reply
    • Susan says

      March 30, 2016 at 12:40 pm

      We love cooking with an air fryer!!!

      Reply
  3. Cascia Talbert says

    March 25, 2016 at 2:23 pm

    A lot of people don’t know how to read nutrition labels. Thanks for sharing this. Have a terrific weekend and a Blessed Easter

    Reply
    • Susan says

      March 25, 2016 at 4:49 pm

      Thanks Cascia. Yes, the nutrition labels can seem confusing… and especially the serving size. So glad you found the post helpful.

      Reply

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