Spot the block - teaching children to read labels

We all know that eating with your children provides great opportunities to discuss and model healthy eating behaviors. But so can grocery shopping. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has developed a program called "Spot the Block" that encourages parents to help their children establish good eating habits by reading the Nutrition Facts Label. It's a good idea to start teaching children about making healthy choices when they're young. The Spot the Block program targets "tweens", children ages 9-13. The Cartoon Network is a co- sponsor of Spot the Block and has some of its favorite characters offering tips, quizzes, and animated spots at an interactive website created just for tweens (http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/promos/201004_fda/htmlsite/index.html).

As parents, we can reinforce some of the Spot the Block messages when shopping or putting groceries away, by challenging our kids to spot the block and identify which foods are the healthiest purchases. The website referenced above encourages children to:

1. Check out the serving size. Packages can be misleading - one package or drink often contains two or more servings.

2. Consider the calories. The Nutrition Facts Label is based on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. A food offering 400 calories or more per serving is considered high. Encourage your child to choose foods with lower calories per serving.

3. Choose nutrients wisely. Foods that are lower in fats, cholesterol and sodium are better choices. When comparing percentage of DV (Percent Daily Value), 5 percent DV is considered low and 20 percent is considered high in that nutrient. Tweens need more potassium, fiber, vitamins A & C, iron and calcium in their diets.

Have fun with Spot the Block by looking for:

• Vegetables with the Highest Percentage of Vitamin A

In the freezer section, ask your child to find the vegetable with the lowest fat content and the highest amount of vitamin A. Remind your child that vitamin A is a valuable nutrient for clear skin and vision.

• Cereal with the fewest grams of sugar

Look for cereals with the lowest amount of sugar and highest amount of fiber. Compare this to their favorite cereals.

• Pizza with the Lowest Total Fat and sodium

Find pizza with the lowest fat and sodium - two nutrients to get less of and the highest nutrients.

Children seem to pick up label reading quicker then we adults do. It's really no different than reading the packaging on a new video game, skin care product, or reading their friends latest Facebook blog.