With Valentine’s Day and American Heart Month upon us, now’s the perfect time to talk about heart health for your kids. Our Nutrition Education team has provided us with some terrific suggestions for how you can nurture heart health as a family — AND have fun doing it!
- Keep moving – Exercise as a family, ride bikes, take a walk, go swimming or play games outside.
- Be positive – Make heart health fun by incorporating games into your family activities or walk to a park for a healthy picnic dinner. Celebrate successes to promote a positive sense of self-esteem.
- Limit screen time -Excessive screen time leads to a sedentary lifestyle and constant snacking, which increases the risk for obesity and cardiovascular disease. Limit TV, computer and phone time to two hours each day.
- Go to the grocery store together – Learn more about reading nutrition labels and make it fun for your child. Staples in your kitchen should be 100 percent whole wheat or grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts.
- Check salt intake – Avoid processed foods and keep salt shakers off the table.
