Did you know: healthy eating and being physically active can help children achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, consume important nutrients, and reduce the risk of developing certain conditions. Some adverse health conditions that may be developed in later life due to poor nutrition include
High blood pressure.
Heart disease.
Type 2 diabetes.
Cancer.
Osteoporosis.
Iron deficiency.
Dental caries (cavities).
In the new year, let’s pledge to improve our health by setting these goals for ourselves and our family:
LIMIT SATURATED AND TRANS FATS
Limit saturated fats — fats that mainly come from animal sources of food, such as red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products. Replace saturated fats with vegetable and nut oils. Healthier fats are also naturally present in olives, nuts, avocados and seafood. Limit trans fats by avoiding foods that contain partially hydrogenated oil.
SERVE MORE "WHOLE" FOODS
Cook “from scratch” whenever possible. Read labels and choose foods with ingredients you recognize. Choosing foods with fewer ingredients will help you avoid added salt, sugar, fats, dyes and other artificial additives.
LIMIT ADDED SUGARS
Examples of added sugars include brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, or honey. Encourage children to eat a variety of fresh or frozen fruit (organic whenever possible) and drink water — rather than fruit juice. Whole fruit is nutrient-rich and a great source of fiber. Water is free and healthy. Make sure you test your water for contaminants like lead and carry out mitigation activities if necessary