No. 5: Kids meet food

Research suggests children are getting further from understanding what real food is. In Jaime Oliver's TV show "Food Revolution," first-graders couldn't identify fruits and vegetables that included tomatoes and potatoes.

So make an introduction: Kids, meet food! It's a good time to start a life-long friendship.

The eat-local movement is spreading fast and Michelle Obama is even making it ... cool. There is a fast-growing library of resources available that show parents how to teach children important life lessons about the food chain, the food industry and nutrition.
Start by making a weekly trip to the local farmer's market. Then plan your own garden. Or find a community garden or school yard with a willing principal. A few basic garden tools, seed packets and a tomato plant or two are not expensive. Organize a gardening bash -- invite your kid's friends and parents for an afternoon of getting really muddy.