How to Become a Positive Role Model by Practising Heart-Healthy Habits

Becoming a role model for your children by practicing good heart-healthy habits is essential not just for us as adults, but for your children as well.

Statistics show that not only has obesity become a pandemic among adults and children, but that children are now also showing early signs of cardiovascular problems.  Among these are high blood pressure, weight gain, high cholesterol, and inactivity.

In order to minimize these factors, parents need to take the lead and begin to demonstrate and effectuate a healthier lifestyle.  Let’s face it; children mimic parents – they learn what they are taught and engage in the same habits as their parents.

Thus, it is important to begin the process of a healthy lifestyle before, during, and after a child is born.  When a child comes home from school and wants a snack, what was once considered the traditional snack of cookies and milk may not be appropriate today.  A piece of fruit or raw vegetables served with low-fat yogurt is much healthier.

Perhaps you have seen the Super Bowl commercial in which parents and kids were shopping for snacks for the game.  The items that were included were certainly not healthy or appropriate for children.  When children see parents snacking on pretzels, potato chips, donuts, and other foods that are high in trans fats and sodium, they will assume it’s okay to eat and follow these habits.

Children need to be taught early about the merits of choosing foods that are healthier.  In addition, regardless of whether the family goes out to dinner or has a prepared meal at home, portion size needs to be a consideration.  One of the ways one family addresses this problem is to serve meals on smaller plates.

Find new recipes and/or create meals that provide a balance.  Include vegetables, fish, chicken, and fruits in the daily diet.

Family activities that involve exercise can go a long way in teaching children the importance of exercise.  If mom and dad are having fun exercising, the children will follow this healthy approach.  Restricting TV and/or computer time can also serve as an effective method to reduce a sedentary lifestyle.

Becoming a positive role model for children requires that we set an example every day.  Consuming foods that are healthy and nutritious, reducing the portions of foods served and engaging in exercise are all part and parcel of an effective and stimulative process by which children will learn the value of each component.  In turn, these components will become a routine part of their daily lives.

Kristy Lee Wilson

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How to Keep Our Children’s Hearts Healthy

Two major components to ensure that children maintain a healthy heart are diet and exercise.

With obesity now a pandemic in our society, the need to increase physical activity and develop healthy eating patterns is essential.

We all know the benefits of exercise.  It can help to control weight, increase the good cholesterol, and reduce blood pressure as well as the risk of diabetes and other illnesses.  It can also offer an inner balance and psychological well-being that instills confidence and self-esteem among children.

The American Heart Association offers a myriad of recommendations both for physical exercise and eating habits.

They recommend that children should engage in 30 minutes of exercise a day.  This can be attained by using the entire 30 minutes of playful activity, or dividing the time into two or three periods in which the total 30 minutes is achieved.

In this day and age of fast food restaurants and on-the-go snacks, it is also important to present a diet regimen that is healthy, targeted, and provides the nutritional value children need to grow into healthy adults.

A diet low in sodium and trans fats is recommended as well as balanced meals including fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fiber, and protein.  Low-fat and/or fat-free dairy products are also recommended.

The total recommended calories consumed depend largely on the age of the child.  For example, for very young children it is advised that 900 calories per day is sufficient.  For teens, it is estimated that 1800 calories for girls and 2200 calories for boys is quite sufficient.

But the main factor in keeping children’s heart healthy is to refrain from over-eating. This means time spent watching TV or playing video games can only contribute to a sedentary lifestyle later on.

Young children are nearly always on the go, and this is a good thing.  However, as children mature and grow into their pre-teen and teen years, their level of activity may slow down.

Thus, any activity that the entire family can engage in will not only keep the children active, but will act as a preventative measure in avoiding any future health problems for all concerned.

Kristy Lee Wilson

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Healthy Lunch Boxes for Kids and Adults

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut when packing lunches. When we can’t cook or even warm up our food, our options are somewhat limited. But the standard lunchmeat and cheese on bread with potato chips doesn’t do much for our health.

Sometimes we just need to think outside of the box (or in this case, the lunchbox). With some creativity, we can pack healthy lunches for ourselves and our kids. Here are a few suggestions:

Main Dishes:

* Make some pasta salad. You can find kits with everything you need in the grocery store, or you can make your own to suit your tastes. Include vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers and onions to add flavor and nutrition. For the kids, try using pasta in interesting shapes.

* Roll up a fajita. Use leftover meat from dinner the night before, and add lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and some of your favorite light dressing or sauce. These make a great change of pace for kids, too.

* Have a turkey bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. This is healthy and provides a nice change.

* Toss up a grilled chicken salad. Grill some organic chicken breasts the night before, slice them up, and add them to some salad greens. Add some shredded cheese and cherry tomatoes to make a nutritious and filling dish.

* Put some homemade soup or chili in a thermos. It’s nice to have something warm for a change, especially in the winter.

* Make sandwiches with bagels instead of bread. Bagels are nutritious and filling, and they give you a break from plain old white or wheat bread.

Side Dishes:

* Pack some baby carrots, celery sticks or sliced cucumbers and a small container of hummus or vegetable dip.

* Send some yogurt with fruit and granola in your child’s lunch. It will provide protein, carbohydrates and vitamins that your child needs.

* Keep fresh fruit on hand. When you’re in a hurry, you can easily grab a piece and throw it in the lunchbox as a nutritious side dish.

* Whip up some fruit salad for an easy to make treat. Drain a can of fruit cocktail and add some chopped walnuts, marshmallows and sliced bananas soaked in lemon juice (to keep them from turning brown).

* Make your own trail mix. Mix your favorite kinds of nuts, raisins, dried bananas and cranberries, and granola.

Just because you eat your lunch out of a lunchbox, doesn’t mean it has to be boring and lack nutritional value. Using leftovers creatively and putting a new twist on your sandwiches will help you and your kids get over the packed lunch doldrums.

Kristy Lee Wilson

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Healthy Power Snacks for Healthy Kids

When your child comes home from school, does he make a beeline for the cookie jar? Kids need food between meals to nourish their growing bodies. But processed foods laden with sugar are not the best choice for them. They need a snack that offers vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

Keeping healthy snack options on hand will help your child get the nutrition he needs while satisfying his hunger. Here are some ideas:

* Raisins – Individual serving size boxes of raisins are great for snacking. They have that sweet taste that kids crave, and they provide nutrients such as iron, vitamin A, vitamin C and the B vitamins.

* Apples – Most kids love to eat apples. If possible, serve them with the peel on for the most vitamins and minerals. But if your child refuses to eat the peel, apples are still healthy without it. Top with peanut butter, cheese or yogurt for even more great taste and nutritional value.

* Yogurt with berries and granola – If your child likes yogurt, he’ll probably like it even more with some berries and granola added. This snack provides healthy doses of protein and fiber, plenty of vitamins and very little fat.

* Trail mix – Nuts are great for an energy boost, and they provide much-needed protein for kids. Dried fruit provides vitamins and sweetness.

* Ants on a log – If your child is stubborn about eating healthy food, try this fun snack with visual appeal. Cut up some celery sticks, fill them with peanut butter, and top with raisins.

* Fruit and cheese kebabs – Here’s another idea that’s nice to look at and fun to eat. Spear pineapple chunks, grapes and cubes of cheese onto a toothpick or popsicle stick.

* Baby carrots – When it comes to vegetables, carrots are one of the most popular among the younger set. Keep some baby carrots on hand, and chances are they’ll be gone before you know it.

* Chewy fruit snacks – Kids who insist on eating nothing but junk food are often happy to eat pre-packaged fruit snacks. Little do they know that they’re actually good for them! Choose a brand with no added sugar and plenty of vitamin C.

* Mini bagel pizzas – If your child is really hungry, a more filling snack might be in order. You can make bite-sized pizzas by topping mini bagels with a dollop of pizza sauce and a pinch of mozzarella cheese. Add some finely chopped sweet peppers for extra nutrition, and heat in the microwave or toaster oven until the cheese is melted.

Kids often crave sweets or greasy chips at snack time, but there are healthier options that taste great too. Fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and yogurt are good for our kids, and if they will give them a chance, they’ll find that they taste great too. So on your next trip to the grocery store, leave the cookies on the shelf and stock up on these healthy alternatives.

Kristy Lee Wilson

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Stuffed Beet Treats

What You Need:

• 8 whole beets, cooked
• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped fine
• ½ tsp. dry mustard
• 1 tsp sweet pickles, minced
• 1 ½ TBSP mayonnaise
• ½ tsp. mild salsa

How to Make It:

• Begin by removing a section out of each beet with a melon baller to form a cavity to fill.
• In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, dry mustard, pickles and mayonnaise.
• Stir well to combine.
• Fold in the salsa and blend to desired consistency.
• Fill each beet with the mixture.

You can substitute pickle relish for the sweet pickles and salad dressing for the mayonnaise. If using a salad dressing hold back a little on the sweet pickles or relish or the mixture may be too sweet for some tastes.

Kristy Lee Wilson

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Vegetables in Marinade

What You Need:

• 1 C cold water
• 1 C sugar
• 1 C white vinegar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 lb. fresh mushrooms
• 2 C broccoli florets
• 2 C cauliflower florets
• 2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1 inch strips
• 2 C carrots, cut diagonally into strips

How to Make It:

• Place the water, sugar, vinegar and salt in a large bowl.
• Mix until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Add the vegetables and stir well to coat.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

The longer these set the better they taste. The sugar makes this a slightly sweet treat. Cucumbers and onions also work well in this marinade.

Creamy Cheese and Asparagus Toppers

What You Need:

• 12 asparagus spears
• 1 TBSP water
• 2 (3 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 2.5 oz. (½ pkg.) Parmesan and Romano cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• Assorted crackers

How to Make It:

• Clean and trim the asparagus spears.
• Cut each spear into 1 in pieces.
• Place the asparagus in a microwave safe bowl.
• Add the water and cover.
• Microwave on high power for 4 minutes or until the asparagus is fork tender.
• Drain off any excess water.
• In a mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, shredded cheese and lemon juice.
• Mix together well.
• Spread the cheese mixture on the crackers.
• Top with the asparagus pieces.

To make this even easier use a flavored cream cheese such as chive, garden vegetable or roasted garlic and leave out the shredded cheese.

Pimento Pockets

What You Need:

• 1 C green peas, cooked
• 1 C small curd cottage cheese
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 small whole pimentos, cleaned and peeled
• 1 C seasoned bread crumbs

How to Make It:

• In a bowl mix together the peas, cottage cheese, onion, salt and pepper to taste.
• Stuff each pimiento with the pea mixture.
• Spray a cookie sheet with a non stick cooking spray.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Place the stuffed pimento on the cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle with the seasoned bread crumbs.
• Bake 5 minutes or until the bread crumbs begin to brown.

Whole fresh pimentos can be hard to find in some areas. Canned pimentos work just as well and don’t need to be cleaned and peeled in most instances.

Apple Nachos with Peanut Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 apple (diced)
• 1 banana (halved and sliced)
• 2 whole pita breads
• 1/4 cup butter, melted (1/2 stick)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup of whole milk
• 1 tablespoon of honey

Instructions:

• Cut the pitas in half so you have two half circles, then cut in half again, creating 4 triangle shapes from each.
• Separate and pull bread apart at the edge where it’s still attached.  Brush pita chips with butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 400 degrees F for 5 – 7 minutes.  While baking, prepare sauce by melting together peanut butter, honey and milk in a small saucepan.  Serve chips drizzled with sauce and add sliced apples and banana to the plate for a fun lunch or after school snack.

Mini Tomatoes with Cottage Cheese

What You Need:

• 30 cherry tomatoes
• 1 C small curd cottage cheese
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• 1 tsp. mustard
• ¼ tsp. onion powder

How to Make It:

• Remove the tops of the cherry tomatoes.
• Remove the seeds and set tomatoes aside.
• Place the cottage cheese in a mixing bowl.
• Fold in the celery salt, mustard and onion powder being sure to mix together well.
• Fill each tomato with the mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Kids like these because they are easy to just pop in their mouth while on the run.  They are great with just plain cottage cheese too.