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 Parents play a key role in making healthy choices for their children because the earliest decisions regarding food and physical activity occur in the home.  But in today’s busy world, it isn’t always easy.  Parents and other caregivers need a community of support.  So Let’s Move to offer parents the simple tools, support and information they need to make healthier choices for their family. Children learn from the choices they see adults make.  If children see parents enjoying nutritious foods and physical activity, they’re more likely to do the same. 

Let’s Move is building communities by bringing together families, schools, private industry and government to make healthy living easier.  With greater understanding and opportunities for good nutrition and physical activity, parents can take simple steps so busy families can live healthier lives.

 Many children consume at least half of their daily calories at school. As families work to ensure our kids eat right and have active play at home, we also need to ensure our kids have access to healthy meals in their schools. With more than 31 million children participating in the National School Lunch Program and more than 11 million participating in the National School Breakfast Program, good nutrition at school is more important than ever. Let’s move to get healthier food in our nation’s schools.

 

 More than 23 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, live in low-income urban and rural neighborhoods that are more than a mile from a supermarket. These communities, where access to affordable, quality, and nutritious foods is limited, are known as food deserts.  By using the new interactive Food Environment Atlas, users can see the location of food deserts across the country and other indicators of how successful communities are in accessing healthy food.   Lack of access to proper nutrition is one reason why many children are not eating the recommended levels of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Food insecurity and hunger among our children is even more widespread.   A recent USDA report showed that in 2008, an estimated 49.1 million people, including 16.7 million children, lived in households that experienced hunger multiple times throughout the year. (Household Food Security in the United States, 2008)  Too often, these same school age children are not eating the recommended level of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low fat dairy products. (source) So, Let’s Move to ensure that all families have access to healthy, affordable food in their communities.