That’s pounds of sugar per person per year. Read more about this at Whole Health Source.

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“Improving the quality of the school meals is a critical step to building a healthy future for our kids.”

– Tom Vilsack, Agriculture Secretary

“A healthier population will save billions of dollars in future health care costs.”

–Dawn Undurraga, Environmental Working Group staff nutritionist

New guidelines were recently released to help improve school lunches.

The good:

Doubling the amount of fruits and veggies in cafeteria lunches. More whole-grain foods. Limiting calories, sodium and trans fat.

The not-so-good:

Big Food made sure that french fries are still readily available. And don’t forget, pizza counts as a vegetable. Ha.

Interesting stuff. Don’t know how much of a difference this will really make but at least it’s something.

Source:

FoxNews.com: USDA Sets Guidelines for Healthier School Meals

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“It’s easier to get up the will-power to turn down a 900 calorie double-burger with cheese and sauce and opt for a 400 calorie chicken sandwich or salad when you know your entire daily needs are about 1600 calories.”

– Joan Carter, a CNRC registered dietitian and instructor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Looking for another calorie-needs estimator? Try this one from the Baylor College of Medicine.

The time for New Year’s resolutions is upon us. What will yours be?

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“Any combination of steps–making fruits and vegetables part of every meal, limiting treats, walking and playing, even shopping together—can add up to make a real difference in children’s lives and help build healthy habits for life.”

– LetsMove.gov: For Parents

Parents can really make a difference in helping kids develop healthy habits. You already know that. Think of a way to do it better.

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My girl just can’t get enough broccoli. It’s pretty awesome. She likes it steamed straight-up.

Reasons to eat more broccoli:

Potential Cancer Prevention

It’s Just Good For You

Enjoy!

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This is a more detailed version of the ChooseMyPlate food icon from the USDA.

Here is more from the HSPH about their version and why it is better than the USDA’s version: Harvard Researchers Launch Healthy Eating Plate

The HSPH plate gives a much clearer picture as to what is healthy eating. As they say themselves, it is based on science and free from the influence of politics.

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“Our study clearly shows that eating both unprocessed and processed red meat—particularly processed—is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.”

– An Pan, research fellow in the Harvard School of Public Health Department of Nutrition

“Clearly, the results from this study have huge public health implications given the rising type 2 diabetes epidemic and increasing consumption of red meats worldwide. The good news is that such troubling risk factors can be offset by swapping red meat for a healthier protein.”

– Frank Hu, Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health

Source: Harvard School of Public Health: Press Release Dated August 10, 2011: Red Meat Linked to Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

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Your eating habits can contribute to improved cholesterol levels.

Key Points

• Eat fish at least two times each week.

• Eat fiber-rich foods, including a variety of fruits and vegetables (with skin).

• Choose whole grain foods instead of refined grain foods.

• When eating nuts, choose unsalted and non-sugared varieties.

• Choose unsaturated fats instead of saturated fat and trans fat.

• Limit red meat and foods high in saturated fat (whole-milk dairy products, cheese and ice cream).

• Check food labels and ingredient list for trans fat. Watch out for partially hydrogenated oils.

Foods to Promote Healthier Cholesterol

• Olive Oil

• Canola Oil

• Avocados

• Nuts: Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans

• Flax Seeds

• Fish: Salmon, Tuna, Halibut

• Whole Grain Foods

• Beans and Legumes

• Vegetables and Fruits

Foods to Avoid/Limit for Healthier Cholesterol

• Commerically Prepared Baked Goods: Cookies, Brownies, Crackers, etc.

• Butter

• Whole Milk

• Margarines w/ Trans Fat

• Red Meat, Sausage, Pork, Bacon, Processed Meats

• High-fat Cheeses

• Poultry eaten w/ Skin

• Fried Foods: French Fries, Donuts, etc.

• Pastries, Muffins, Cakes, etc.

Sources:

Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the Good

Oregon State University: Linus Pauling Institute: Fiber

MayoClinic.com: Top 5 Foods to Lower Your Cholesterol Numbers

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After a long day yesterday, my wife had this ready. Favorite dinner of all time.

Broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes and lemon-grilled chicken. The cool thing is that it’s the 2-year-old’s fave dinner too. : )

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Their mission includes ending “chronic preventable disease in the U.S. by offering people and organizations a weekly prompt to start and sustain healthy behaviors.”

“Oversized plates lead to oversized portions, so slim your serving size this week by eating your meals on a salad plate. Your dish will seem just as full — that way you’ll be satisfied with less.”

– Healthy Monday Tips: Monday Motivators 2011

Other ideas to help you control your portions:

• Drink a glass of water before your meal

• Eat slower

• Fill half your plate with veggies and fruits and just stick to the one plate

As always, have a Healthy Monday!

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