Talk About Your Child’s Feelings find Healthy Foods That fit .

A SPECIAL GUIDE TOFA M I LY M E A LT I M Etalk about your child’s feelings**reach out to your community*find healthy foods that fit your budget

strong bodies, minds – and families Healthy eating can give you the energy you need to juggle dailyresponsibilities with building solid family relationships. Sharing healthymeals has positive benefits for the whole family, too! Sometimes wondering how to pay for food or find time to cook can be overwhelming.And if there isn’t enough food all the time, it may be especially hard to make healthy choices.You are not alone; many people face difficulties in meeting their families’ food needs. Even ifoptions are limited, you can find places to get affordable, nutritious foods. As a resource for you, Sesame Street has created Food for Thought: Eating Well on a Budget.Whether you’re dealing with budget or time constraints, this magazine offers positive steps youcan take to help your family stay healthy.* Family Food Talk offers ways for familiesto talk together about food and any relatedworries you and your children may have.* Healthy Foods on a Budget has ideas to helpyou plan, shop, and save money.* Healthy Choices Anytime offers tips formaking healthy choices anytime, anywhere.* Making Connections includesways to reach out for support. Plus. Sesame StreetRecipe Cards help yourwhole family feel good andhave fun — for less!sesamestreet.org/food1

family food talkIt can be challenging totalk about food with yourchildren. But children may feelworried or anxious if foodis sometimes limited in yourhome. Listening to and talkingopenly with your childrencan reassure them and helpyour family find solutionstogether. Before talking toyour children, try to prepareyourself to discuss whatcan be an emotional subject.And remember, it’s OK if youdon’t have all the answers.2sesamestreet.org/food

family food talkFAMILY TIME Whether you’repreparing food, sharing ameal, or shopping together,you can make food a part ofhappy family memories.Children may havemany questions,some of whichmight be hard foryou to answer.That’s all right.As you begin to talk with children, here are some tipsto keep in mind:Talk about feelings.want to buy those cookiesEncourage children to usenow, but we have to save ourwords to talk about theirmoney to buy healthy foodsfeelings. Children may havewe need, to keep us strong.”a wide variety of emotions.In fact, it’s valuable to setAre they worried, sad,limits for children.angry, overwhelmed, orembarrassed? Let themknow: “It’s fine to feel thisway.” Comfort them bytalking about specificthings you are doing tohelp your family.Reassure older siblings.You may notice big brothersor sisters making sacrificeswithout being asked.They may choose to skipmeals or encourage theiryounger sibling to eat lessIt’s fine to say “no.”food. Reassure them byYou may feel stressed ifsaying: “Our whole familyyou’re not able to buy thingsneeds to eat and keep ouryour children ask for. In thesebodies strong. You need tomoments, try to remembereat, too.” Offer ideas forthat it’s all right if childrenpositive ways they can helpdon’t always get what theythe family. Older childrenwant. You’re working to getcan help make a shoppingthem the things they need.list, plan menus, andTell children, “I know youprepare meals.sesamestreet.org/food3

family food talklet’s talk about itListening to children’squestions and concerns letsthem know that you’redoing everything you canto take care of them.You know your childrenbest, so share informationyou think they are readyto understand.Will we have enough to eat? “We don’t have a lotof money right now, but I love you and I’m doingeverything I can to make sure we have food to eat.”Should I eat less so you can havesome food? “No, it’s importantfor you to eat and stay healthy.I’m finding ways to make ourfood last longer. If I need to, I willask for more help.”Why don’t we have enough food?“It’s just the way things are rightnow. But I’m getting help andI’m working hard to make sure weget the food we need.”together time Talking about food with children can be fun. Ordinary moments canprovide great chances to teach children about making healthy food choices —and to spend time together. Try some of these conversation starters:In the kitchen* Can you help me find the ingredients we need for this recipe?* Let’s make a rainbow salad with colorful vegetables!At the dinner tablepotatoes are my favorite food because they remind me of when * Sweet tell a story: Once upon a time, there was a little vegetable seed * Let’s At the store* On our shopping list, there’s a fruit that’s red, shiny, crunchy, and round.Will you help me find it?* Let’s look at the labels to check which cereal has less sugar.To best take care of your children, try to keep your mindand body healthy, too, by doing things you enjoy. Take abreak if you need it — ask a trusted adult if he or she can takecare of your child for a short while. If you work on stayinghealthy, you help your whole family know that they can, too.4sesamestreet.org/food

family food talkI want this candy. Can you buy itfor me? “No, not right now. I know it’ssomething you want. But right now, weneed to save money to buy things wereally need — like fruits and vegetablesto keep us healthy and strong.”I don’t want to eat this.“Just try a little bite.If you don’t like it, that’sOK. We can try againanother day.”s es a m estreet.org/food5

healthy foods on a budgetYou can make healthy choices as a family, one small step at a time.Choose from the ideas in this section to find what works best for you.a simple startEven small changes in your routines can help you save money.And getting started doesn’t take much time.Make a shopping list. Keep aschool breakfast program.shopping list in a place that’sYou can get creative witheasy to see so you can addbreakfast, too — try a healthyto it any time. Checking yourbreakfast burrito with beans,list as you shop can help yousalsa, low-fat cheese, and astick to your budget. Childrenwhole-wheat tortilla.can help write or draw itemson the list, or check things offwhile shopping.Look for generic or storebrands. These usually costless than name brandsand taste just as good!Start the day with a healthybreakfast. A healthy breakfastgives the whole familyenergy to stay focused allday. It can also be the mostaffordable meal of the day,whether you make it at homeor participate in a public6sesamestreet.org/food

healthy foods on a budgetANOTHER WAY TO SAVEBuying foods that everyonein the family likes willhelp make sure that lessgoes to waste.Whether you are thinking aheadshopping at a large Spend just a few minutes planning ahead and you can savea lot of time and money in the long run!supermarket, aBuy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Although mostfarmers’ market, fruits and vegetables are available throughout the year,keep in mind that some cost less when they are in season.or a local grocery Farmers’ markets offer seasonal produce, and many acceptstore, simple SNAP cards or WIC vouchers. To find out what’s in season,search for “seasonal produce” online, or ask someone workingsteps can help you at your local market.save money. Buy in bulk. You may save money by buying in bulk (if youwill use large quantities) or stocking up on sale items.Be in the know. Find out when stores publish weeklyflyers or announce sale items. Ask a store manager or clerkabout current or upcoming sales.sesamestreet.org/food7

healthy foods on a budgetPlanning ahead gets easier over time. The whole familycan help make choices that fit into your routines.in the long termThere are even more steps your family can taketo make healthy choices on a budget over time.Create a weekly menu.They’ll also be excited toAs you get used to planningtry the healthy foods thatahead, preparing weeklythey helped grow!menus can help you savemoney and make food lastMake leftoversinto soup You can savebits of vegetables, rice,meats, beans, or tomatosauce in a containerin the freezer. When thecontainer is full, add water,herbs, and other seasoningsor low-sodium cannedbroth to make a delicioussoup, stew, or chili.longer. Look at the SesameStreet Recipe Cards inthis kit, and check onlineat sesamestreet.org/food,for meal and snack ideas.You may find summerbreakfast programs, weekendservices, or communitymeals in your neighborhood.You may also find freesummer activity programsown food can be a great wayor events, such as playgroundto have fun as a family andplaytime, where your childsave money. Plant things likecan get healthy snacks, too.herbs outdoors or in pots athome, or look for communitygardens in your area.Gardening helps childrenlearn where food comes from.sesamestreet.org/foodand during the summer.Plant a garden. Growing yourtomatoes, peppers, and8Stay healthy on weekends

save for later!Leftovers can be made intodelicious and healthy meals.At home, save time and money bymaking more servings thanyou need, then saving the rest.stretch your dollarThese tips can help you make healthy, heartymeals that fit your budget.Choose low-cost sources of protein. Dried beans,peas, and lentils; canned fish; eggs; and peanut butterare healthy, inexpensive sources of protein.Refrigerate or freeze leftoversquickly. If you plan to eat leftoverswithin a day or so, refrigeratethem. If you plan to eat themlater than that, freeze leftoversin reusable containers.Buy frozen or canned fruits and vegetables.In addition to fresh produce, try to pick canned foodthat is labeled “in its own juice,” “no added sugar,”or “low sodium.” If these aren’t available, drain andrinse other types before eating.Swap foods and coupons with friends. You mayhave many cans or boxes of one kind of food, or extraThaw foods safely. Leaving foodsto thaw on the counter can makethem unsafe to eat. Thaw foodssafely in the refrigerator, in coldwater, or in the microwave.coupons. Ask friends if they have different extraitems or coupons to exchange. Swapping can help youadd variety to your meals — and save money, too!Try powdered milk. Its long shelf life makes it aneasy, affordable option. You can use it insteadof regular milk in just about any recipe, from creamed Divide portion sizes.Separate leftovers intosingle serving sizes for easypreparation.vegetable soups to rich fruit smoothies.Mark and date. To keeptrack of when you putthe foods in the freezer orrefrigerator, mark thecontainers with the dateand what’s inside.sesamestreet.org/food9