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What's for Dinner?
Mott's and Save the Children Join Forces to Get American Families Eating Healthier
Stamford, CT - April 08, 2002
Consider these facts: Only one in five children eats the five recommended servings of fruits and vegetables a day1, and more than 91% of youngsters eat too much saturated fat2. Although these are shocking statistics, getting your kids to eat their daily servings of apples and Brussels sprouts is now easier than ever. Knowing quick and fun ways to nutritionally balance your family's meals can make healthy living a chore no more.
This year, Mott's has partnered with Save the Children to enhance its out-of-school-time program with the addition of a vitally needed nutrition component. The Save the Children curriculum: Energy for Living; Balancing Physical Activity and Nutrition through the Web of Support was designed to encourage and engage both parents and children in learning the fundamentals and essentials of eating properly and making informed food choices.
"Healthy eating habits lead to healthier children," said nutritionist, Lori Lathrop Stern, PhD, RD.
"In our busy lives, eating well and exercising tends to take a back seat to our hectic schedules. That's why Mott's is providing families with highlights of the Save the Children nutrition curriculum, a program that empowers kids to develop good nutrition, exercise habits at an early age. Although it is geared toward children, the curriculum also is a useful guide for promoting healthier lifestyles for the entire family."
By implementing the following quick and easy tips, eating healthy well-balanced meals will soon become second nature. Highlights of the nutrition curriculum, as well as the complete downloadable version are available at www.motts.com.
Eat More Fruits and Vegetables, Whole Grains and Low Fat Dairy Products
Eating the recommended daily servings of fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products, and whole grains provides children with essential vitamins, minerals and fiber for every day health. It also helps to protect their growing bodies from sickness while providing energy for alertness and concentration in school. If you look closely at your child's diet, chances are they are not consuming the minimum daily requirements of fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products and grains. Below are a few ways to help incorporate additional servings into your child's meals and snacks:
- Start the day smart with a bowl of whole grain cereal, like raisin bran, a cup of low fat milk and serving of fruit
- Leave a plastic container of cut up fresh fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator
- Stock low fat yogurt or apple sauce on hand for snacking
- Let the kids pick new and interesting fruits and veggies when they go with you to the store
- Add baby carrots to munch on with a sandwich
- Cut sweet potatoes into cubes before baking to make them more bite-size appealing
- Pop a bag of low fat, low sodium popcorn and keep on hand in a plastic bag for snacking
Physical Fitness and Activity
Children should learn at an early age the benefits of being physically active and how physical activity, coupled with a balanced diet is essential to lifelong health. Everyday activities such as walking to school, running up and down stairs, dancing, playing games and participating in sports are all forms of physical activity that can contribute to a child's overall wellness. Here are some ways to encourage kids to be physically active:
- Aim for your child to be physically active for 60 minutes per day
- Encourage your child to play outdoors after school-run, jump, dance or skip, it all counts!
- On the weekends, make physical fitness a family affair, take a hike, play a game of tag in the backyard, swim at the neighborhood pool
- Make sure your child's school provides recess and has ample space for running and playing and encourage your child to make the most of physical education classes
- Limit TV watching and computer games
Eat Fewer Sweets and Fats
It is important for children over the age of two to eat foods low in fat and limit added sugar. A low fat diet that is limited in added sugar helps kids avoid excess calories and maintain a healthy weight. At the same time, it ensures kids are eating more foods that are packed with the essential nutrients they need. Excess sugar can also lead to tooth decay. Below are ways to lower your child's consumption of fats and sweets:
- Read Nutrition Facts Labels and choose foods low in fat (less than 3 g per serving) and low in saturated fat (less than 1 g per serving)
- Replace fat-filled snacks with their lower fat or whole grain versions or substitute with fruits and vegetables
- Choose skim or low fat milk, low fat yogurts and cheese
- Limit use of salad dressings, butter, mayonnaise and margarine
Eat a Variety of Foods
To get all the nutrients we need for optimal daily and long term health, it is important to eat a variety of foods. Below is a link for the Dietary Guidelines and Food Guide Pyramid from the USDA to help you plan variety into your diet as well as provide other useful dietary and physical activity advice: www.mypyramid.gov.
By following the simple steps above, your family can enjoy healthier meals that reflect a healthier and better balanced lifestyle.
Mott's Inc., a subsidiary of London-based Cadbury Schweppes plc (NYSE: CSG), is headquartered in Stamford, Conn. Mott's is the nations leading producer of branded apple sauce and apple juice. Other well-known products made by Mott's include Mott's Fruitsations, Hawaiian Punch fruit drinks, Clamato, Mauna La'i tropical juice drinks, Grandma's Molasses, the number one brand of molasses in America, Holland House and Mr & Mrs T, the top selling mixers in the United States, Rose's, the nation's leading brand of lime juice and grenadine, and the ReaLemon and ReaLime brands. More information about Mott's can be found on its Web site, www.motts.com.
Save the Children, www.savethechildren.org, is a leading international child development and relief organization working in over 40 countries worldwide, including the U.S. Its mission is to make lasting positive changes in the lives of children in need. Save the Children's Web of Support is a national initiative to support both children and the community organizations that serve them in their non-school hours. The organization has developed a network of community-based partner organizations that are provided with resources, financial support, technical assistance and leadership training. Through these program partners, Save the Children is able to deliver high quality after-school programs and support for children in 100 low-income rural and urban neighborhoods across the United States.
1 (as recommended by the National Cancer Institute), Krebs-Smith SM et al. Fruit and vegetable intakes of children and adolescents in the United States. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 1996;150:81-6.
2 Lewis CJ et al. Healthy People 2000: report on the 1994 nutrition progress review. Nutrition Today 1994;29(6):6-14.
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