Take a Look Inside
We Can!™ Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook
| | Parents can make a big difference in their child’s health by making small lifestyle changes. Fun and practical tips in this colorful, easy-to-read handbook help families find the right balance of eating well and being physically active to maintain a healthy weight.
| Where to Use the We Can!™ Parent Handbook: | - Health fairs
- PTA meetings
- School orientation sessions
- Community center pamphlet racks
- Physician offices
| - Health Clinics
- Community wellness committee meetings
- School wellness programs
- Listed as a link in parenting Web sites
- Shared with family, friends, & colleagues
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English – Item #05-5273
Spanish – Item #05-5274
For more information about the We Can!™ (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition) program go to http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov. Become part of the We Can!™ movement – learn ways you can get involved in your community to promote a healthy weight for children and youth.
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 | Get the Scoop on Estimated Daily Calorie Requirements By Age, Gender, & Activity Level (Check out the chart on page 11.) Maintaining a healthy weight is all about energy balance; how many calories are taken in daily, and how much physical activity is done daily. The number of calories children need to be healthy varies depending on age, gender, and activity level of the child. For example, children need calories to grow properly, but the amount should support natural growth without promoting excess weight gain. |
Learn About GO, SLOW, and WHOA Foods | Before you open the fridge, do you know your GO, SLOW, and WHOA foods? - GO—Almost anytime foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain breads, brown rice, chicken and turkey (no skin), and fat-free milk
- SLOW—Sometimes foods, at most several times a week, such as vegetables in sauces, fruits canned in light syrup, white bread, white rice, nuts, and 2 percent low-fat milk
- WHOA—Once in a while foods, such as French fries, fruits canned in heavy syrup, doughnuts, chips, cookies, fried chicken, and regular soda
See the complete Go, Slow, Whoa chart on page 16 of the Handbook to go beyond the examples below. Better yet, take the chart to the grocery store to help you make food choices while shopping! 
For a complete list of all of the food groups, see page 16.
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Also don’t miss A Real-Life Example of Energy Balance on page 12 or Ways to Be Physically Active in Small Chunks on pages 23 and 24!
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