It's been a heavy few weeks for everyone. As the holiday season draws near, we hope you're finding time to recharge, relax, and remember that together we have made tremendous progress towards building healthier communities for our kids and families, in every sense of the word. While our context has changed, that mission and our movement continues. To that end, we're sharing resources around the two big things on everyone's mind right now: the elections and the holidays. We hope they help you navigate the weeks and months ahead, and as always please join us on the #FoodFri tweet chat and the #GoodFoodForce Facebook group for real-time conversation on the threads below and so much more.
1. TOP STORIES
Gathering Post Election? We've Got Resources For You!
This is an important time to be in community, online and otherwise. Many of us have already held meetings and know that this in-person connection is providing a much-needed sense of vision and renewed focus. Some of us are most concerned about how this moment will affect our children, others are eager to know how best to be an ally to people and groups vulnerable to attack and discrimination, and still others are ready to think of policy-based and other actions. All of these instincts are great and needed. Check out these helpful conversation resources from MomsRising.
Still time to deliver a Healthy Schools Storybook this fall!
Let's celebrate and promote healthy schools this fall! Sign up to deliver a Healthy School Storybook full of stories from parents and tips from experts on healthy lunches and snacks, eliminating junk food marketing in schools, physical education, recess, clean water and SO MUCH MORE! Over 200 parents have already delivered a book online or in person; can you join them? Sign up here to get your copy! It takes just a minute.
2. TIPS AND RESOURCES
- Protecting Our Kids From Bullying and Harassment, by Khadija Gurnah on the MomsRising blog. Helpful resources for parents who are struggling with how they can make sure the children in their communities feel safe in the face of increased bullying and harassment in schools.
- Will Trump, a fast-food fan, remake healthy school lunches? by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press. November 15, 2016
- Talking to Our Kids about the Elections: Five Suggestions based on the Golden Rule, by Gregg Robins on the MomsRising blog.
- Soda Taxes Sweep to Victories, Despite Facing Big Spending, by Margot Sanger-Katz, the New York Times. Nov. 9, 2016
- Baby Food FACTS: Nutrition and marketing of baby and toddler food and drinks, new report from UConn Rudd Center. Birth to age 2 is critical for forming lifelong, healthy eating habits and preventing childhood obesity. Yet baby and toddler food and drinks and the marketing messages used to promote them often do not support experts’ recommendations for feeding babies and toddlers.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a new study showing the positive health impacts of WIC on 2 to 4-year olds in 31 states. Read more on the State of Obesity website.
- Don't forget to check out Secret Agent Moms, MomsRising's new graphic novel following the adventures of two moms and their kids, as they attempt to navigate the healthy school day!
3. HEALTHY HOLIDAY ROUND UP
- 5 Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season, by Migdalia Rivera.
- My Game Plan to Protect Kids from Junk Food this Holiday Season, by To-Wen Tsang
- Say “No” to Holiday Stress, Beth A. Collins Sharp
- Squash: Cook It, Craft It, Grow It, by Karen Showalter
- Gun Safety During the Holidays: Ask to keep your children safe! by Sara Smith
- Seven Tips for a Food Waste-Free Thanksgiving, from Food Tank.
- 5 Ways to find rest this holiday season, by Renee Trudeau on the MomsRising blog.
4. CONNECT
Join us for a #FoodFri tweet chat this Friday as we share more healthy holiday recipes and tips! Find us on Twitter using #FoodFri and @MomsRising at 1pm ET.
And help us celebrate #MomsReading Month by sharing your favorite food-related story, poem or recipe on the Good Food Force Facebook Group!
- Karen and the rest of the MomsRising Food Team!
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