At Field Trip Factory, we partner with community organizations to offer programming to students full of essential nutrition lessons. We’ve teamed up with Zest and Zeal to present “heart-healthy” tips & recipes perfect for kids this Valentine’s Day. Encourage the kids and students in your life to “fall in love” with healthy eating!
This guest post comes from Jaime of Zest & Zeal. Zest & Zeal is a healthy living lifestyle blog run by two sisters – a nutritionist and a teacher – and both new moms!
A healthy diet and lifestyle is your best defense against heart disease. Since February is American Heart Month, I wanted to bring you a few heart healthy tips for kids. These tips are good for the entire family!
1. Eat a rainbow of colors! You not only keep your heart healthy by incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet, but it is also important to add a variety of fruits and vegetables within the entire color spectrum. Each “color” has a unique benefit.
Healthy Recipe Idea: Banana Bites
2. Go Outside and Get Active. Turn off the TV and video games and get outside and be active. Whether it is a family walk, fun on the playground, or playing your favorite sport; it is so important for kids (and adults) to get their bodies moving while taking in some fresh air. The heart is a muscle, too, and it also needs a workout. Exercise can also help to increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels.
Healthy Recipe Idea: Waffle Apples with Almond Butter and Shredded Coconut
3. Eat breakfast. A healthy heart starts with a healthy breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it helps to fuel your body and brain during those early morning hours. If you don’t eat breakfast, you will not be able to think as clearly and it typically leads to making poor food choices later on in the day.
Healthy Recipe Idea: Honey Ginger Salmon
4. Choose healthy snacks. Snack time is a great time to work on getting in those fruits and vegetables (colors of the rainbow), which contain vitamins and minerals to help protect our bodies against heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Plus, fruits and vegetables are nature’s snack, are convenient for grab-and-go snack options, and they are yummy!
Healthy Recipe Idea: Maple Cinnamon Carrots
5. Include foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help to lower your risk of heart disease and are also important for brain health. A few foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, tuna, walnuts, flax seeds, and wild rice.
Healthy Recipe Idea: Cherry Banana Smoothie
6. Avoid sugary beverages. Focus on drinking beverages that are hydrating and include no sugar or additives such as water, milk, or a milk substitute such as coconut milk or almond milk. Sugary beverages do not give your body proper nutrients and can lead to obesity and diabetes.
For more great tips and information from Jaime, you can check out Zest and Zeal on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or Instagram.
For even more nutrition information, be sure to explore the wide variety of Field Trip Factory health, wellness and nutrition-based tours.