Practice 5-2-1-0 all year: Ideas for November
| Healthy You | 5-2-1-0 | Kids Health
Welcome the cooler weather with these healthy ideas.
The sun is setting earlier and maybe your kiddos are already using their screens too much and drinking too much soda. Use the 5-2-1-0 method to help keep everyone healthier – mentally and physically – this winter.
Take a look at what the numbers mean for each day:
We came up with a few options to get your creative ideas started for each category.
To eat five vegetables and fruits per day – Make “clean-out-the-fridge” soup.
Use veggies you have on hand and some pantry items for a warm and hearty kale and white bean soup. This recipe is kind of like a famous restaurant’s bottomless soup.
Try to include a range of colorful vegetables for more vitamins and nutrients. Kale not your thing? Take a look at other recipe ideas.
Another fun idea is to make a “stone soup” with your friends or neighbors. Each group brings an ingredient for a recipe to be made at someone’s house and enjoyed by all. The idea is based on the Portuguese folktale by Cas Willing to encourage cooperation during times of scarcity.
To limit screen time to under two hours – Craft greeting cards.
Gear up for the holiday card season. Pull out some crayons, watercolors or stickers and get to crafting.
Who doesn’t love a handmade holiday card or thank you card? Mail or hand the cards to friends, teachers, neighbors, grandparents, etc.
If making cards from scratch sounds too daunting, then you can purchase some affordable options from the dollar store. Or if you have a printer, you can look online for some templates to print and have the kids color.
To get one hour of daily movement – Hike the neighborhood.
Look for changes in the scenery as the weather changes. Maybe have a leaf scavenger hunt. Find a leaf that looks like a heart or one that is all orange with a speck of green left.
To drink zero-sugar drinks – Use natural sweetener.
It’s tough to go without sugary drinks altogether. It’s okay once in a while and in moderation. If you want a treat such as hot cocoa, try making it from scratch. You can use a natural sweetener such as honey, maple syrup or agave syrup and control the amount.
Or make this seasonal shrub drink for the kiddos who are open to trying something with a little tang.
This hot tea tastes a little like warm apple cider. Who doesn’t love that on a cold day?
