Halloween can be for the whole family, but most of the treats collected as kids trick or treat aren’t exactly the healthiest choices. Although a few pieces of candy are fine, one study by the University of Alabama-Birmingham estimates that the average kid may accumulate 3,500 to 7,000 calories worth of treats on Halloween night. Forget needing a scary costume -- those numbers are frightening in themselves!
Posted by Elizabeth Rhodes, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on October 30, 2012
Giving young kids the best start to life is not just about teaching them the ABCs but helping them learn healthy habits, too. Check out how one teacher gets the young learners in her in-home preschool healthy at an early age:
Looking for fun and easy ways to get your kids moving outdoors this fall? All this week, our followers on Facebook and Twitter shared their favorite games and activities for the autumn season.
Parents all across the country are getting kids moving by hiking, visiting apple orchards and corn mazes, and jumping in leaf piles. We heard about fall sports like football and softball, and activities like hula hooping and hopscotch.
Editor’s Note: U.S. Paralympics is a division of the United States Olympic Committee.
Did you know that the Paralympic Games are the second largest sporting event in the world, behind the Olympic Games? At the London 2012 Paralympic Games more than 4,200 athletes competed, including 227 Americans, making it the largest Paralympic Games ever! Meet some of the Paralympians who came to the White House, and take a look at our favorite facts about the Paralympic Games:
One of the easiest ways to eat healthy is to make at least half of your grains whole. You can transform your family's favorite recipes -- like Belgian waffles and French toast -- into healthy ones rich in whole grains. iCarly's Reed Alexander shows us how it's done. Check out Reed's healthy kid favorites for you to try at home:
Editor's note: This is post was orginally published on U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In McLean, a community tucked inside Fairfax County, not everyone can access the food they need for good health. I interviewed Julie Mendoza about her efforts to connect hungry families in McLean with fresh produce.
Julie knew that Share McLean, a food pantry that serves hungry families in the area, often lacked fresh produce. As she was walking through the McLean community garden one day, she noticed that there was an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. She decided she would try to facilitate a relationship between the garden and Share McLean, calling it The Gardeners’ Share of McLean.
The Presidential Youth Fitness Program is a voluntary program that empowers students to adopt and maintain an active lifestyle. To learn more about this new national program, join us today for a webinar:
Editor's note: The U.S. Soccer Foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the health and well-being of children in urban economically disadvantaged areas using soccer as a vehicle for social change.
This past summer, the U.S. women’s soccer team brought home the gold from the 2012 London Olympic Games--showing America the true spirit of team work, and amazing us with their athletic abilities. They played a series of challenging games, but pulled together to win.
Posted by USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion on October 18, 2012
Check out our new Whole Grains How-To's video series, featuring Liz Weiss, a registered dietician, cookbook author and family nutrition expert. These short, informative videos offer simple tips explaining how to eat whole grains on a budget, whole grains for breakfast, whole grains at school, and whole grains for the whole family.
The U.S. Olympic Swimming Team won 31 medals – 16 gold, nine silver and six bronze – at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, accounting for nearly one-third of Team USA’s total medal count.
Swimming is a lifelong sport that works your entire body. From the freestyle to the “fly,” each stroke offers a different and challenging way to get from one side of the pool (or pond!) to the other.
Posted by David J. Hayes, Deputy Secretary of the Interior on October 15, 2012
Two Saturdays ago, I had the privilege of joining the Connecticut River Watershed Council in Hartford for their annual Source to Sea Cleanup event. This year’s cleanup was one of over 2,100 similar events taking place across the country in honor of National Public Lands Day, a day devoted to restoring and conserving our treasured public lands.
The U.S. Forest Service has put together an online resource to help you find when the fall colors will be best at a forest near you!
Visit the 2012 Fall Colors website or call the toll-free Fall Colors Hotline at 1-800-354-4595 to help you plan your next trip to America’s great outdoors.
Posted by Susan Morse, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on October 11, 2012
Editor's note: National wildlife refuges provide habitat for more than 700 species of birds, 220 species of mammals, 250 reptile and amphibian species and more than 1,000 species of fish. More than 280 threatened or endangered plants or animals are protected on wildlife refuges. Each year, millions of migrating birds use refuges as stepping stones while they fly thousands of miles between their summer and winter homes.
How do you provide healthy meals for your family on a limited budget? Chef Greg Silverman, a Chefs Move to School participant, is working to help answer this common question.
Posted by Recipe by Fabio Viviani and Richard Blais, former "Top Chef" contestants on October 11, 2012
Do you want to cook like the pros? Check out this healthy, budget friendly and delicious recipes featured during a special Let's Move! "Quick Fire" Challenge.
Ingredients:
1 turkey tenderloin
A sprinkle of salt
A sprinkle of pepper
1 tsp honey
A sprinkle of cumin
A sprinkle of coriander
