Fun Facts: May 2024

Wellness Wisdom: Activities for Building Happy, Healthy Families

Stay Hydrated, Drink Water!

Drinking enough water every day helps keep you healthy and hydrated. For babies and children, drinking enough water helps to prevent constipation. Water is the healthiest option for staying hydrated because it has 0 calories and no added sugar. Sports drinks and juice have water in them, but they can be high in sugar.

Babies 0 to 6 months old get enough water from the breastmilk or formula they are drinking, so no need for any extra water at this age! At 6 months you can offer water in an open cup, but it is just for practice, not hydration.

Recommended Daily Water Intakes:

Children	Adolescents	Adults
1 - 3 years old: 1.3 Liters (about 3.75 cups) 4 - 8 years old: 1.7 Liters (about 5 cups)	9 – 13 years old: Males: 2.4 Liters (about 7.5 cups) Females: 2.1 Liters (about 6.75 cups) 14 – 18 years old: Males: 3.3 Liters (about 11 cups) Females: 2.3 Liters (about 7.5 cups)	19 – 70 years old: Males: 3.7 Liters (about 12.5 cups) Females: 2.7 Liters (about 9.25 cups) Pregnant: 3.0 Liters (about 9.75 cups) Breastfeeding: 3.8 Liters (about 13 cups)

Read more here!

Source: Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, National Academies. 2005. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Recommended Dietary Allowances and Adequate Intakes, Total Water and Macronutrients.

Breastfed From the Start: Helpful Tips for Mastering Breastfeeding

Benefits of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is healthy for both baby and mom! Here are some of the many benefits of breastmilk:

For Baby:

Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for baby. It has all the fat, protein, sugar, water and other important vitamins and minerals that baby needs.
It has proteins called antibodies. These proteins help baby build a strong immune system and protects them from getting sick.
Breastfeeding lowers the risk of your baby developing asthma, childhood and adult obesity, diabetes, infections, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), stomach bugs, RSV and other serious illnesses.
Helps with healthy growth and development of baby.
Soothing for baby and helps them bond with mom.

For Mom:

Lowers the risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease and postpartum depression.
Free!
Helps speed up recovery from childbirth. It helps the uterus return to its normal size and decreases post-delivery bleeding.
Helps some women lose weight after childbirth.
Allows mom to feed baby without carrying around bottles and formula.
Helps mom learn about her child’s hunger and feeding cues.

If you want to breastfeed but need further support or have questions, reach out to your local WIC office and ask about the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program!

Delicious & Nutritious Recipes: Simple, Kid Approved Dishes to Try at Home

Fruit Tarts

A fun, fruity recipe to try for a snack!

Ingredients:

4 oz low-fat cream cheese
2 cups fresh fruit mix
6 slices whole wheat bread
1.5 tbsp fat-free skim milk
2 tbsp honey*
¼ tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Remove cream cheese from refrigerator and allow to warm to room temperature on countertop for 1.5 to 2 hours.
Wash prep surfaces, your hands, and all fruit. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Slice crusts off bread slices. Flatten bread with a rolling pin or bottom of a heavy skillet to about 1/8-inch thick. Place smashed bread slices on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
While bread is baking, slice fresh fruit.
In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and milk with a fork until smooth. Stir in honey and vanilla.
Spread a generous tablespoon of cream cheese mixture on each piece of cooled bread. Arrange about 1/3 cup of fruit on top of each tart.

*honey should not be served to children under the age of 1.

Tips: Feel free to use your favorite combination of fruits to make these tarts. Let your kids help decorate the tarts with fruit slices!