5-2-1-0 Let’s Go! Encourages Healthy Celebrations at Daycare

5-2-1-0 Let’s Go Aroostook, is a nationally recognized childhood obesity prevention program aimed at increasing healthy eating and physical activity in the childcare environment.

It is a program of the Aroostook County Action Program, and is implemented in partnership with MaineHealth. 5-2-1-0 aims to improve the nutrition and physical activity environment, policies and practices of childcare facilities and is implemented through a trained Let’s Go! Partner. Katharine Putnam, is the Let’s Go Coordinator for Aroostook County.

The 5-2-1-0 message is easy to understand; 5 or more fruits and vegetables daily, 2 hours or more of physical activity, 1 hour of less of screen time and 0 sugary drinks. Along with this message, 5-2-1-0 encourages childcare facilities to hold healthy celebrations. These celebrations can be healthy and fun at the same time. Some examples of healthy celebrations might be to serve fruit in place of cake for a birthday, give out books instead of goody bags that contain candy for a Christmas party and serving water in place of soda of fruit juice for a beverage at a Halloween bash.

Good nutrition and plenty of physical activity are key to a young child’s growth and development. These behaviors begin to be set early in life and are fostered by the environment in which children live and play. Because many children spend much of their day in childcare settings, these environments are critical to the development of healthy behaviors. Creating a healthy environment requires leadership and commitment by the childcare provider.

Recently Jeannette Bouchard, owner of Bouchard’s Daycare held a healthy celebration in honor of Valentine’s Day.

“The children really enjoy trying new foods and eating healthy,” said Bouchard.

“This type of celebration is exactly the type of thing that can show children that eating healthy can be fun, and shows just how easy it is to swap unhealthy items for healthy ones,” said Putnam.

If you have a questions about the 5-2-1-0 Let’s Go! program or would like more information on healthy celebrations, please contact Katharine Putnam, Let’s Go! Coordinator at 207-764-3721 or kputnam@acap-me.org.