Q: Do you have recommendations Tips from the American Heart Association


❚ Encourage physical activities that they’ll really enjoy – Every child is unique. Let your child experiment with different activities until they find something that they really love doing.


❚ Pick truly meaningful rewards – Don’t reward children with TV, video games, candy or snacks for a job well done. Find other ways to celebrate good behav- ior.


❚ Make dinnertime a family time – When everyone sits down together to eat, there’s less chance of children eating the wrong foods or snacking too much. Get your kids involved in cooking and planning meals. Everyone develops good eating habits together and the quality time with the family will be an added bonus.


❚ Make a game of reading food labels – The whole family will learn what’s good for their health and be more conscious of what they eat. It’s a habit that helps change behavior for a lifetime. Learn more about reading nutrition la- bels.


❚ Stay involved – Be an advocate for healthier children. Insist on good food choices at school. Make sure your children’s health care providers are mon- itoring cardiovascular indicators like BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol. Contact public officials on matters of the heart. Make your voice heard.


How much sodium should a child have?


The recommended dietary allowance for children ages 1 to 3 is 1,000 milligrams of sodium per day, or 2,500 milligrams of salt. Children ages 4 to 8 should con- sume 1,200 milligrams of sodium per day, or 3,000 milligrams of salt.


The daily recommended intake for children and adolescents from ages 9 to 18 years old is 1,500 milligrams of sodium, or 3,800 milligrams of salt. The Amer- ican Heart Association recommends that everyone limit sodium consumption to 1,500 milligrams per day.


Importance of low salt for children


Excess consumption of salt in a child’s diet is linked to the increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Children are ex- posed to a variety of convenience foods containing high sodium includ- ing soft drinks, breakfast cereals, processed meats, frozen foods and junk snacks.


Source: Livestrong.com


Kids like things they can eat on the run, such as fruit or breakfast burritos. PHOTOS BY DEAN CURTIS FOR LIVING WELL


for parents in limiting screen time after school? Horn: I have my opinions on screen time: the less the better, is the way I see it. Kids need more natural sunlight and to be exposed to the earth, like the dirt. I can safely say that some, not all, but some of the unhealthy habits that kids have formed come from always being glued to some sort of screen. According to the American Heart As- sociation, screen time can lead to a sed- entary lifestyle and excessive snacking, which increases risks for obesity and cardiovascular disease. The AHA rec- ommends no more than 2 hours per day (that includes TV, computer, video games).


Q: How important is it for children


to eat breakfast? Braunagel: Students who eat break-


fast give their mind and body a head start to the day. When a child is hungry, it makes it harder to concentrate. By lunch or dinner, their energy is gone and they are looking for anything to put in their mouth. It has been proven that stu- dents who eat breakfast do better on


Have trouble getting kids to eat healthy? Debbie Braunagel, Director of Food Services at Mountain Home Public Schools has this advice. “We have found if fruits or vegetables are cut up, students are more likely to eat it,” she said.


6 ❚ JULY/AUGUST 2018 ❚ LIVING WELL


LIVING WELL ❚ JULY/AUGUST 2018 ❚ 7


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