12: Exercises

It’s Your Turn

  1. Plan a day’s worth of meals for a pregnant woman that contain the RDA of vitamin C. To help determine the vitamin C content in foods, visit the USDA National Nutrient Database: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search.
  2. Create a brochure or plan a peer-to-peer campaign that encourages pregnant women to breastfeed their newborns and includes the major benefits of this practice.

  3. After watching the video, which recommends snacks for adults and older children, use these ideas and what you have learned to create a list of toddler-friendly healthy snacks for parents. Take into account potential problems for young children, such as foods that are choking hazards.

    Eating Healthy Snacks

    (click to see video)

Apply It

  1. Create a chart that compares the energy requirements and fluid recommendations for the following phases: the second trimester of pregnancy, the third trimester of pregnancy, the first six months of lactation, and the second six months of lactation.
  2. Visit a store and study the labels of three different brands of infant formula. Record the nutrition facts for each brand, such as the calories, amount of carbohydrates, amount of protein, and so on.
  3. Research ways to adjust the behavior of picky eaters at this website: http://www.healthychildren.org. Then, create a list of four to five tips for parents of toddlers. Apply Ellyn Satter’s division of responsibility as you create your suggestions.

Expand Your Knowledge

  1. How might statistics regarding unplanned pregnancies relate to the recommendation that all women should regularly take a multivitamin with folic acid? Use your knowledge of the impact of folate to explain your response.
  2. Write a short speech that you would give to local government officials to recommend ways that they can promote and support the practice of breastfeeding in your community. Or prepare an email or letter to explain to a friend or family member why you have made the choice to breastfeed your child or to support your partner in the practice of breastfeeding.
  3. Visit http://www.healthychildren.org and research ways to introduce solid foods into an infant’s diet. Then create an eating plan to help parents gradually introduce solids to their babies, beginning at the age of six months.