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Plan Your Trip to the Grocery Store Plan your menu ahead of your shopping trip. It only takes 5 to 10 minutes to sit down and make a weekly menu and shop- ping list. The menu should include healthy breakfast choices, quick-and-easy lunch choices and at least six dinner choices. Include a vegetable and a fruit with each meal. Strive to eat five fresh vegetables and fruits each day. Include your kids in the planning. Ask them what they want on the menu and discuss ways to make their choices healthier. Talk about healthy foods and explain why the list must include healthy choices. This helps children to un- derstand and be involved in the process. Kids need to participate in the planning, shopping and preparation of foods.
Stick to Your Shopping List The next step is controlling what you pur- chase at the grocery store. Let your kids know that they need to help you choose healthier items. Stick to the list. Get them involved in reading food
labels. Teach them about the way the ingredients are listed, with the order of the ingredients listed in the amounts added. The largest amounts are written first. Tell your children that if sugar is the first ingredient, the food is not a healthy choice. Watch the serving size. One bottle of flavored water may have two or three servings in one bottle. Watch for the amounts of sugar, salt (sodium) and fat on the labels. Ask your children to help you make the best choice, including making a note of the prices.
Buy Fresh Whenever Possible The healthiest foods have no labels. Buy more fresh fruits and vegetables. Pur-
Ready, Set, Grow
chase whole grains whenever possible. Search for 100-percent whole-wheat breads or cereals. Choose whole-wheat tortillas instead of flour tortillas. Try brown rice instead of white rice. Look for lean meats. Consider adding fish or skinless chicken breasts. Avoid processed meats. Processed foods are packaged in boxes, cans or bags. Processing can include freezing, drying or canning and is done to extend the shelf life of foods. The more natural the food, the less the added sugar, salt or fat. Ask your children to choose the best bananas, lettuce and grapes. Your kids will enjoy helping you and will learn during the process.
Avoid Added Sugar Sugar may be listed as glucose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, galactose, sugar cane or high-fructose corn syrup. There are 56 words that mean sugar. Sugar can be hid- den in some foods, such as pasta sauce. One-third of a jar of pasta sauce includes about three teaspoons of sugar. Vitamin water may have 30 grams of sugar (seven teaspoons), the same as three glazed donuts. Again, avoid foods that have sugar listed as the first ingredient. Choose foods that are lower in sugar.
Limit Added Salt (Sodium) Everyone needs some salt, but most Americans consume double the recom- mended daily allowance of sodium, which varies by age: 1-3 years, 1,000 milligrams/day (maximum 1,500 mg/ day); 4-8 years, 1,200 mg/day (maximum 2,200 mg/day); 9-18 years, 1,500 mg/ day (maximum 2,300 mg/day); infants less than 1 year, no added salt. Ninety percent of children consume more that the recommended levels of sodium,
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