10 Simple Ways to Keep Kids Heart Healthy

Like all you mommies out there, I constantly strive to make improvements in my kids’ lifestyle and diet. We all want them to grow up into happy, healthy adults. The seeds to a healthy life need to be sown right now. With fast foods inevitable and exercise at a minimum, could we be promoting a lifestyle that invites heart diseases in our kids? I hate to agree, but we could! I am sharing today some simple changes to their lifestyles that can keep our kids heart healthy.

With diseases like obesity and diabetes attacking kids, moms can no longer afford to close their eyes to the importance of diet in children. I have seen heart diseases in my family and I strongly believe that “If we continue to eat what we eat, we will continue to feel how we feel”. Change is the keyword here. When I came to know of Saffola’s campaign for small lifestyle changes for a healthy heart, I wanted to share my little tips. I have shifted to Saffola Active since long and admire what the brand stands for.

I am joining the Saffolalife #ChhoteKadam initiative in association with BlogAdda and follow these small steps for a healthy heart for my kids and my entire family.

1. Stock Healthy Foods to Snack Upon

Snacking on the wrong foods is the number one enemy of your kids’ hearts. When hunger strikes, keep interesting and healthy choices to snack upon. Stock up on seasonal foods and fruits for your kids to enjoy when they feel peckish. Remember how we used to wait for a particular seasonal fruit to arrive? Bring back the simple joys in life! It was only a few days ago that I was telling my kids about the benefits of ‘singhada’ or ‘water chestnuts’ – a favorite monsoon treat!

2. Make Meal Times a Family Affair

Chances of eating the wrong foods increase when the kids eat alone or in front of the TV. Sitting down together for meals will ensure that the kids take a portion of everything on the table (including salads, dal etc.) and skip unhealthy foods.

3. After School Snacking

This is the most vulnerable time for making all the wrong choices. The kids come home tired and moms are tired by the end of the day too. It is so easy to hand them something unhealthy to eat because all your energies are directed towards preparing dinner. I have listed some healthy afterschool snacks in a separate post. Most of them are ‘no cook’ and others require very little cooking time.

4. Encourage Walking

Kids hardly walk these days! I make it a point to drag my kids for little errands near the home. I shop online for almost everything but there are always emergencies when you have school going kids. There will be last minute shopping needed for a school project or some stationery supplies. I take my kids along to shop for what they need. This is also my one-on-one time with each of my kids. They feel special and love to go on these short walks/errands with me as they can have me all to themselves! Makes for good exercise as well as some much needed bonding time 🙂

5. Substitute Butter with Ghee

I try to minimize the use of butter wherever I can. All the bad fats of butter can be replaced with ghee. This article on benefits of ghee will be an eye opener. In some places, I use olive oil instead of butter.

6. Minimize Use of White Bread

Another thing I am consciously trying to minimize the use of, is white bread. I use healthier alternatives like brown and multigrain bread. Have you heard of the Cauliflower Pizza crust? It is a great way to make bread-free pizza and other open sandwiches.

7. Discourage Use of Added Salt

My daughter is fond of licking too much of salt along with cut fruits. This is a very unhealthy habit for her heart. I try to keep her salt intake in check by giving her the necessary amount and removing the salt shaker from within her reach. Sometimes I try to replace white table salt with healthier salts like rock salt.

8. Encourage Reading Labels

This is a type of game we have developed. I encourage my kids to read the nutritional value labels of every product they can get their hands on. This has helped them become well versed with nutrition terms and also tells them how good or bad a product is, for them. They now compare products to see which one has less trans fat, lesser calories and sugar.

9. Limit Intake of Soda

I indulge the kids in aerated and sugary drinks once in a while, but it is a strict no-no on a regular basis. I encourage fresh fruit juice lassi and buttermilk. Fruit based milk shakes and smoothies are a great way to sneak in fruits.

10. My ‘Trick’ to Get Kids to Exercise in the Morning

My kids are like all other kids these days and abhor any kind of physical exercise, especially in the morning. But the benefits of morning exercise are too many to leave it at that. So, I have come up with a trick of my own. I encourage them to teach me whatever exercises they learn at school or in after school sports classes. Kids love to teach and demonstrate. They teach me stretching exercises they learn during their sports classes, P.T. moves from their physical training class at school and martial arts from their activity classes. They are proud to show off and even remember to check on me the next time whether I remember or not, what they taught me. And don;t underestimate it’s effects on you. You will learn so much more than you already do! And even if you know all that they are teaching you, you will have an excuse to get up and do it.