Eat well and be active today and every day!

Eating well and being active work together for a healthier you. These healthy habits may help you reduce your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer and osteoporosis while providing many benefits such as:

• Better overall health
• Lower risk of disease
• A healthy body weight
• Feeling and looking better
• More energy
• Stronger muscles and bones

Steps towards better health and a healthy body weight include:

• Eating the recommended amount and types of food each day.

• Limiting foods and beverages high in calories, fat, sugar or salt (sodium).

• Being active every day.

If you think you don't have time to eat well - think again. Here are some ideas to help you overcome some common barriers to healthy eating.

Explore some of the interactive resources available to help you keep track of your eating
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Source:    Canada Food Guide  wwww.hc-sc.gc.ca › Home › Food & Nutrition › Canada's Food Guidewwww.hc-sc.gc.caw.hc-sc.gc.cawww.hc-sc.gc.ca

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These foods are safer for infants and young children when they are prepared as described:
 

• Make vegetables safer by grating, cooking and cutting into bite-sized pieces.
• Make fruits safer by removing pits and seeds, grating and cutting into bite-sized pieces.

         e.g. Grapes cut into four pieces.

• Cut sausages or hotdogs lengthwise into four and then into bite-sized pieces.
• Spread sun butter thinly on a cracker or bread to make it easier to swallow. 

               Reducing Sugar
High added sugar intake has been linked to everything from dental cavities to obesity to Type 2 diabetes to heart disease to other health conditions — many of which last into adulthood.

Minimizing added sugars is a priority for many parents, but it's not as simple as trading cookies and soda for fruit and water. 

Avoiding obvious sources is one thing, but added sugar can be found in many foods where you may not expect it. 

According to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines, added sugars include sugars, syrups and other caloric sweeteners.

Simply put, added sugars sweeten a food — and although they add calories, they offer virtually no nutrition.

On a nutrition label, sugar may appear under many names — more than 50, actually. Some of the most common ones include cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, raw sugar and crystal solids. And, don't forget brown sugar, honey, maple syrup and brown rice syrup.

Common Sources of Added Sugars.  

Some sources of added sugars are easy to spot, such as:

• Sugary beverages (soda, fruit punch, sweet coffee and energy drinks)
• Sugary cereal
• Candy and chocolates
• Flavored yogurt
• Baked goods such as cakes, pastries and cookies

However, added sugars can hide in some surprising places, including:

• Whole-grain cereals and granola
• Instant oatmeal
• Frozen foods
• Granola bars, protein bars and cereal bars
• Pasta sauce
• Dried fruit, canned fruit, applesauce and fruit juices
• Baby food
• Barbecue sauce, ketchup, salad dressing and other condiments

Tips for Avoiding Added Sugars

The first step in reducing your family's added sugar intake takes place in the grocery store.

Scan labels for added sweeteners and, instead, fill your shopping cart with healthier options. Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD, a blogger and mother of two, recommends reaching for naturally sweet foods.

Her favorites? "Fruit! Lots of veggies are naturally sweet too, especially bell peppers, carrots and sugar snap peas," she says.

When it comes to beverages, Kuzemchak recommends water and milk. "Many other beverages have ingredients kids don't need, like caffeine, added sugar and artificial dyes or sweeteners," says Kuzemchak.

You can also reduce added sugar intake at home by cooking from scratch. By making your own granola, pasta sauce and condiments and serving homemade baked treats, you are in control of the ingredients used. "With baking recipes, I frequently cut the sugar with no negative effect to the recipe or to how much my family likes it," Kuzemchak says. "I usually start by cutting it by a quarter and go lower if possible."

One common source of added sugar is flavored yogurt. You can start reducing added sugar intake from yogurt by mixing half a serving of flavored yogurt with half a serving of plain, unsweetened yogurt. This trick works with cereal too. As your family's taste buds adjust, gradually use less and less of the sweetened varieties.

Make a healthy relationship with food the overall focus instead of a completely sugar-free diet.

Encourage positive associations with foods such as fruits and vegetables by playing up their good qualities and fresh taste — and save the sweet stuff for special occasions.

​Source:  Reviewed November 2016 Jessica Cording, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and writer in New York City.


​Breakfast 
http://www.eatright.org/resources/for-kids?gclid=CNOb_si8o9ECFVa5wAodgj0DRw

Lunch 


Treat/Dessert
Warm apples and a crispy topping make this a comforting fall dessert.  Leave the skin on the apples for a dose of fiber, and serve with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or yogurt, if desired.
Ingredients
2 medium sweet red apples (such as Gala or Braeburn)
3 tablespoons finely chopped pecans (or substitute walnuts)
2 tablespoons uncooked quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped dried cranberries
1 tablespoon cold butter, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup 100-percent apple juiceDirections

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cut each apple in half horizontally. Use a melon baller or spoon to remove the core from each half, creating a rounded hole.
3. Combine nuts, oats, brown sugar, cranberries, butter, cinnamon and salt. Use your fingers or a fork to mix until mixture resembles coarse meal. Fill each apple half with about 2 tablespoons of oat mixture.
4. Place apples in an 8-inch baking dish; pour apple juice around apples in dish. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
5. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.

Baking time will vary depending on the variety, size and ripeness of the apples. Apples are finished when easily pierced with a toothpick.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 stuffed apple half
Serves 4
Calories: 151; Total Fat: 7g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 8mg; Sodium: 100mg; Total Carbohydrate: 24g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Protein: 1g
Jessica Cox, RD, is a culinary nutritionist and chef based in Birmingham, Ala.

 Resources

Canada Food Guide           ​v
www.canada.ca/content/.../food-guide.../print_eatwell_bienmang-eng.pdf

For other healthy & delicious ideas visit www.foodnetwork.ca/cooking-with-kids