Rapid growth and development occurs during the preschool years, ages 2 through 5. A child grows about 2 to 3 inches and gains 4 to 5 pounds each year. Proper nutrition and opportunities to play and be physically active are critical to ensuring your child grows properly, learns to enjoy nutritious foods, and adopts healthy behaviors for maximum development and lifelong health. This publication covers various topics of interest to parents and caregivers of young children and gives an overview of optimal feeding practices.

There is no one healthy weight for all children. Children come in different sizes and shapes. Some children are naturally petite. Others have bigger builds, larger bones, or greater muscle mass that can result in a heavier weight. They also grow at different rates. Any weight that supports growth, learning, development, fitness, and well-being can be a healthy weight.

If your child is overweight, he or she is not alone. Overweight and obesity are growing at epidemic rates among American children and teens. The rate has tripled in 30 years and is expected to rise. In 2012, 18 percent of children ages 6 to 11 and 20 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 19 were considered obese.

How do you get your family to the table and keep them healthy? Slash the fat. Shake the salt habit. Replace the sugar, fat, and salt in your favorite foods with spices and herbs. They will keep your family coming back to the table for healthy and tasty meals.

August Edition of the Buzz, Body, and Bites Newsletter for Teens

Buzz, Body & Bites for Teens, a quarterly newsletter designed to provide practical information that educates and empowers teens to live a healthy lifestyle.

Caneberries, which include blackberries and raspberries, must be picked when the berries are ripe or nearly ripe to ensure quality. Their thin fruit skin, high respiration rate, and high ethylene production make these berries extremely susceptible to postharvest losses. Although both raspberries and blackberries are considered “soft” fruits, raspberries are slightly more perishable in nature. The raspberry fruit is susceptible to greater moisture loss and fungal infection because of its lack of an outer protective covering (cuticle) and the fact that the raspberry fruit is left with a cavity in the center when detached from the plant.

The family is the cornerstone of a healthy community. Virginia Cooperative Extension strives to improve the well-being of Virginia families through programs that help put researchbased knowledge to work in people’s lives. Family and Consumer Sciences educators help Virginians learn to make good choices for themselves and their families. This, in turn, strengthens their communities and the state.

As family and consumer science educators, we known that the family is the cornerstone of a healthy community. Virginia Cooperative Extension strives to improve the well-being of Virginia families through programs that put research-based knowledge to work in people’s lives.

This publication and an accompanying publication provide information to help consumers understand and interpret labels on meat and poultry products, and help producers understand how they may use labels to differentiate their products and increase their profit margins. The labels discussed in this publication are specific to certain types of meat (beef and lamb) and poultry.

Preparing to load the yellow bus or power up the laptop? Between schedules, work spaces, routines and adjustments, getting into a rhythm that works for your family can be a huge relief. In this session, our presenter shares ideas that may spark thoughts that you can use in your household.

Anyone finding themselves dreading certain conversations? Ever walked away from a discussion wishing you would have said, or not said something? Certainly we all have those opportunities, perhaps at an even greater frequency in our current climate. Join as we discuss ways to have tough conversations, even if we don’t agree on things, in a way that shows both self-respect and respect for others. More COVID-19 resources can be found at COVID-19.

As we move into cooler weather and many continue working and schooling remotely, our physical activity can easily be neglected. We know that movement is important to our overall health and resiliency. Join as we discuss ways to keep moving as part of our overall well-being, even when we spend time at desks and indoors.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 11 million Americans have food allergies. A food allergy can trigger symptoms ranging from a tingling mouth, swelling of the tongue and throat, hives, and abdominal cramps to anaphylaxis and — in severe cases — death (CDC 2012). Consumers with known allergies must read labels to identify allergenic foods or ingredients on packaged products so they can more easily avoid them.

This is a collaborative effort based on VAHWQP data and working with two undergraduate researchers in BSE. It was reviewed by a public health consultant who is an expert in water fluoridation. This publication is produced in partnership with Virginia Department of Health and was designed by a contracted graphic designer and MPH student, Christy Meek. Digital only, front and back, color.

Human head and body lice are wingless, flattened insects with mouthparts for sucking blood. The head is somewhat narrower than the rest of the elongated body. Adults are small, about the size of a sesame seed (2.5–3.5 mm; 0.1 inch).

Stress comes in many forms. There are normal and predictable stressors, such as a new job, getting married, or moving.

When you are volunteering as a Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Food Volunteer or as a volunteer for other Family and Consumer Sciences programs, you may have the opportunity to share what you learn with others by giving a foods demonstration. Talking in front of a group of friends and other volunteers can be a little scary at first, but with planning and practice, you will be able to give a foods demonstration with ease.

A good demonstration can motivate others to try new fruits and vegetables, eat more servings of them, and prepare them more nutritionally. Before you present a farmers market demonstration, check with the local market manager and/or health department for current regulations. Next, pull out the old razzle-dazzle and leave your audience so star struck, they will come back to the farmers market for more! This demonstration activity can be used by adults and older youth.

Junior Master Food Volunteer, Master Food Volunteer, hours report, teen mentor, teen mentor hours report, master food volunteer hours report

The majority of the milk and dairy products sold in the United States are pasteurized, which means they go through a heat process that kills harmful bacteria (e.g., Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, etc.) that can be found in unpasteurized (raw) milk. Pasteurization not only improves the safety of the milk but also lengthens its shelf life.

Whether sharing a recipe with family and friends or using it in a classroom setting or professional publication, knowing how to write a clear, concise, easy-to-follow recipe is an important skill. It takes creativity and practice to develop a delicious and wholesome dish. Writing a recipe so others can duplicate your results successfully, time after time, requires adhering to specific guidelines and a set of rules.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

Remember to ALWAYS read food labels carefully and watch for hidden allergens. Hidden allergens are ingredients derived from or containing major food allergens with common names that may be unfamiliar to consumers.

The PSR standards (subpart I) addresses both wildlife and domesticated animals. Animals, both wild and domesticated, may carry bacteria, viruses, or parasites that can make people sick. While animals are common in many locations and hard to control, the PSR standards stress the importance of growers limiting animal access to fields and not harvesting contaminated produce.

Volunteer teachers are important to Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE). Volunteers convey information on a variety of topics by teaching or assisting with programs. Although there are many methods for delivering content, this publication will focus on a selection of teaching techniques to foster dialogue.

Food allergies affect approximately 11 percent of adults and approximately 8 percent of children in the United States. Over the last decade, the number of young people with food allergies has increased. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an increase in food allergies in children of 50% from 1997 to 2011. Food allergies can be serious and life-threatening; severe reactions kill 100 to 200 Americans per year (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023). The risk of accidental exposure to foods can be reduced if physicians, parents, child care providers, and teachers work to minimize risks and provide a safe environment for children with food allergies. This publication provides general information and guidelines to manage food allergies at home, schools, day care centers, and camps.

This factsheet describes Sesame Allergies and how to manage them. This new allergen was added to the big FDA allergens list in 2023.

The purpose of this white paper is to convey findings of a large Hard Cider Sensory Project conducted from 2020-2022, with realistic applications for how best to communicate the sensory quality of cider. Recommendations made in this white paper are based on the most current research in the field initiated by researchers at Virginia Tech and Cornell University. These sensory-focused research projects were funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to support growth of the hard cider industry particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States.

Limited educational food safety publications are available for small vegetable farmers and extension personnel seeking information on the exemptions from FSMA regulations and the Produce Safety Rule, along with voluntary practices and food safety practices. Research was conducted to construct three educational publications focused on the Best Management Practices and Good Agricultural Practices, vegetable washing stations, handwashing stations, and sanitizing practices. These educational publications are for distribution within the Virginia Cooperative Extension System and for use by Cooperative Extension Agents, Specialists, and growers who need to educate themselves or others on the basics of on-farm food safety needs and practices. This report serves (1) small and beginning vegetable farmers in the realm of food safety, (2) provide Virginia ANR Extension agents with publications to help them explain the intricacies of vegetable food safety on the farm, and (3) help with educating Virginia stakeholders to the intricacies of on-farm vegetable food safety practices.

Limited educational food safety publications are available for small vegetable farmers and extension personnel seeking information on the exemptions from FSMA regulations and the Produce Safety Rule, along with voluntary practices and food safety practices. Research was conducted to construct three educational publications focused on the Best Management Practices and Good Agricultural Practices, vegetable washing stations, handwashing stations, and sanitizing practices. These educational publications are for distribution within the Virginia Cooperative Extension System and for use by Cooperative Extension Agents, Specialists, and growers who need to educate themselves or others on the basics of on-farm food safety needs and practices. This report serves (1) small and beginning vegetable farmers in the realm of food safety, (2) provide Virginia ANR Extension agents with publications to help them explain the intricacies of vegetable food safety on the farm, and (3) help with educating Virginia stakeholders to the intricacies of on-farm vegetable food safety practices.

Aquaculture continues to be the fastest growing sector of food production world-wide. The Virginia aquaculture industry produces a variety of different foodfish, baitfish, shellfish, and ornamental species. Likewise, a variety of different production methods are implemented across the state, including pond production and indoor, intensive recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). Continued expansion of aquaculture in the state, as well as across the region and country, demands attention to both environmental and economic sustainability.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2011) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2011) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2011) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2011) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2011) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2011) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2011) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2011) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2012) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2012) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2012) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2012) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2012) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2012) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2012) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart, moving more and slimming down. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2013) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart, moving more and slimming down. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2013) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart, moving more and slimming down. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2013) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2011) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2012) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart and moving more. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2012) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart, moving more and slimming down. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2013) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart, moving more and slimming down. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2013) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart, moving more and slimming down. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2013) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

This video is part of a series showing helpful strategies for eating smart, moving more and slimming down. These videos were created by dietetic students in The Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise's Communicating with Food course (Spring 2013) for use in the Family Nutrition Program.

A serving size is what is recommended on a Nutrition Facts label, but what you actually eat is called your “portion.” Portions served at restaurants have gotten larger over the years. Here’s an easy guide to using your hand to estimate a smart size portion.

Fruits and vegetables are good for you. They are full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and thousands of powerful things called antioxidants and phytochemicals. These things give fruits and vegetables their colors, flavors, and smells. When you eat antioxidants and phytochemicals, they also help to protect you from many different diseases, like heart disease and cancer.

Are you stressed out about cooking dinner for your children? Here are a few quick, simple tips you can use to cut down your stress and the time it takes to make your meal.

Don't like cooking? Don't know where to start? This video can get you started with some practical ideas and show how it can be fun. Start simple and include your family!

Looking for ways to help your kids eat healthier? This video is a great example of how you can use games to spark your kids interest in better food choices.

Cooking with your child can feel like a mess. Watch as this mom learns some helpful tips to make cooking with her daughter fun, simple, and mess free.

With a little planning and creativity, you can save time and money by packing healthy lunches.

Cooking with kids builds life skills for a healthy future. This video gives a basic guide on how to involve your kids in the cooking process.

Think home-cooked meals are a waste of time and energy? Think again. This video shows quick and simple methods for cooking meals, as well as different food options your family can enjoy.

Do you find it difficult making time for exercise in your busy week? Taking care of your family and working can make regular physical activity seem unrealistic. Here are some ideas to help fit exercise into your busy schedule.

Tips for family-friendly ways shift to eating more whole grains everyone will love.

Carol, mom of four, makes small changes to lower sodium in her family's meals.

It is easy to make simple shifts in your normal meals to lower the amount of saturated fat while keeping the food delicious.

Interested in ways to add protein into your diet while reducing cost and fat? Then look beyond just meat!

Cooking with oils is a great heart-healthy alternative to solid fats like butter and margarine.

Mom makes the healthy choice to switch to low-fat dairy, and her family doesn't even notice the difference.

A young mother describes three ways to incorporate fruits in different forms into her family's daily routine while including her children in the preparation process.

You might be surprised to find out just how much sugar is hidden in the foods we love. Learn what to look for when reading nutrition labels and simple ways to eat smart by limiting added sugar.

Think home-cooked meals are a waste of time and energy? Think again. This video shows quick and simple methods for cooking meals, as well as different food options your family can enjoy.

Do you have a hard time getting your kids away from the TV and moving more every day? Try these strategies for teaching children to enjoy being active as a family.

About 1 in 8 women will find out they have breast cancer at some point in their life. Except for skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the U.S., accounting for nearly 29% of newlydiagnosed cancers. One case of breast cancer isdiagnosed every two minutes, and one womandies of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the U.S

Colorectal cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S. Despite that, colorectal cancer is preventable, and we have good screening tests to detect this cancer early.

This toolkit provides an overview of facilitation techniques to promote behavior change, along with specific instructions and resources for educators to learn and apply skills necessary to implement them.

The need to purchase food has made going to the supermarket a necessity, even though they are not the safest places to be during the COVID-19 crisis. There are some practical steps that you can take, however, to avoid contracting the virus, or transmitting the virus if you are infected and do not yet know it.

Oven Fried Fish is a delicious alternative to high fat fried fish. As part of the From Our Home to Yours video series, this food demonstration shows how to make this healthy fish recipe.

Extension professionals show you how to make a delicious and healthy salad, Autumn Salad. See more healthy recipes at the YouTube channel, "From Our Home to Yours".

Extension professionals show you how to make Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken. See more healthy recipes at the YouTube channel, "From Our Home to Yours".

This delicious salad recipe brought to you by Virginia Cooperative Extension is a delicious way to get your recommended daily dose of fruits and vegetables. Colorful and tasty, it brightens up any dinner setting.

Learn about the history of the turkey as part of the traditional Thanksgiving meal in this issue of the Buzz, Body, & Bites Newslette. Get a chuckle out of our Thanksgiving jokes and check out the delicious Holiday Root Vegetable Roast recipe.

This issue of the Buzz, Body, & Bites newsletter provides practical guidance on financial management. It also includes a great soup recipe, and recommendations for how to get physical activity.

This issue of Buzz, Body, & Bites aligns with the National Nutrition Month theme of "Fueling ourselves for the Future". The issue discusses ways to consume healthy foods in a sustainable way.

This issue of the Buzz, Body, & Bites newsletter provides information about gardening, and the benefits to health and quality of life. It also includes a recipe for parmesan asparagus, which is an early vegetable.

This issue of the Buzz, Body, & Bites newsletter discusses how to eat more locally grown foods, and the benefits to your community.

Extension professionals and volunteers interact with kids in a variety of programming. Youth who engage in mindy-body practices experience a number of health benefits ranging from reduced anxiety and stress to improved mood and academic performance. This document helps Extension professionals and volunteers lead mind-body practices with youth. There are materials that give background to the approach as well as structured exercises.

Newsletter handout for Flourishing in the Garden Program that combines mindfulness, movement, nutrition, and connection.

This is a step by step guide to designing an exercise class for older adults with specific modifications or cautions to consider.