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Background: Today, families enjoy fewer meals together than they did 30 years ago. However, sharing family meals is associated with healthier eating patterns in children and teens. Shared meals can also be relaxed times to talk and help families become closer.
Below are the articles, websites, and other sources of evidence for information conveyed in the Nios Sanos Familia Sana Family Nutrition Education curriculum: Allen, S. L., Howlett, M. D., Coulombe, J. A., & Corkum, P. V. (2016).
Background: Young children naturally stop eating when they are full. Still, parents often worry that their children are not eating enough. Since young children eat small amounts of food throughout the day, adults may not see how it all adds up in a days time.
Background: Drink water instead of sugary beverages! Sugar-sweetened beverages, including colas, teas, fruit-flavored drinks, sports drinks, and others add a lot of sugar in the diets of children and adults.
Background: Across cultures, breakfast habits vary widely. For this lesson, breakfast is defined as foods and/or beverages from at least one food group, consumed within 2-3 hours of waking after the longest period of sleep.
Background: In children and adults, sleep is important for memory and learning Getting enough sleep is also associated with healthy weight in children. Young people who get more sleep consume less calories, possibly due to fewer late night snacks, and gain weight more slowly.
Background: People who eat out more often, especially at fast food restaurants, are more likely to be overweight. Families can enjoy an occasional meal away from home but make healthy choices, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
Background: In 2009, the fast food industry alone spent $4.2 billion on advertising through all media. Based on the 2010 Nielsen ratings, Latino children and youth (2-17 years) in the US viewed up to 12 food ads per day, most of which were for fast food restaurants.
