The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

New digital tool helps children get off to good nutritional start




Parents and caregivers of children between the ages of 4-24 months can help ensure their children get off to a good nutritional start by using a new digital device from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The USDA recently released My Plate Alexa, with parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers as the first group to receive the nutrition information. The app provides age-based feeding recommendations based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020- 2025. These guidelines help Americans of all ages make healthier food choices.

My Plate Alexa for infants and toddlers helps parents and caregivers determine things like the appropriate time to start their child on solid foods, what types of food they should eat for optimum health and indications that the child is full.

My Plate Alexa makes nutrition guidance easily accessible for Americans. It is available through Amazon Alexa devices and by downloading the free Amazon Alexa app from the app store on your smart phone.

The USDA plans to add more age groups to My Plate Alexa in the near future.

For more family nutrition tips, contact the Letcher County office of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.

Leave a Reply