b'Start Early to Build Healthy Habits for LifeBy Phyllis Allen, M.S., R.D., L.D.It is said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. However, imitating adults is not always a good thing, especiallywhenitcomestoexcessweight,pooreatinghabitsandbeingphysicallyinactive.Childrenare copying the unhealthy habits of adults and their bodies are showing the signs.Just as more adults are overweight and obese, we are also seeing a rise in the number of children and teens carryingexcessweight.Obesityisaserioushealthissueforchildren.AccordingtheCentersforDisease Control and Prevention (CDC), obese children and adolescents are more likely to have risk factors linked with cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes than other children andadolescents. Thetypesoffoodseatenareimportanttopreventingobesityandreducingtheriskof developing heart disease.A United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) study of the diets of school-aged children found their diets fall short of the recommended Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In addition, the diets of school-aged children are low in fruits and vegetables, very low in whole grains and high in sodium, saturated fats, solid fats and added sugars.The foods children eat that add lots of saturated fats and sodium are sandwiches, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and pizzas with meat.Whole milk and ice cream are the dairy foods that also increase the saturated fat intakes in childrens diet. Sodas, candy, juice drinks and other sugar- sweetened beverages add a lot of calories butlittlenutrition.Onetwenty-ouncesodacontainsabout23teaspoonsofsugar.Donotbefooled beverages like Kool-Aid and sweet tea have around the same amount of sugar and calories.Should children and teenagers give up the foods they enjoy the most?Absolutely not but limiting foods high in saturated fat, salt and added sugars is important to achieving a healthier diet now and into adulthood. Eating healthier foods and balancing the calories eaten with enough physical activity may reduce obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors in children and teens. Buy and use low-fat cheese on burgers and sandwiches. Use low-fat meats for burgers such as lean ground chicken or turkey on pizzas and sandwiches.Switch to low-fat milk and other dairy products such as yogurt and ice cream.Encourage water instead of high calorie sodas and other drinks. Use more whole grain cereals, breads, pastas and rice. Look for 100% whole grain as the first ingredient in the label if you are not sure the food is a whole grain. Offer and encourage more fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables. Use canned or frozen fruits packed in water, juice or lite syrup instead of sugar and heavy syrup.Buy canned vegetables without added salt and packed in sauces.Children like to help in the kitchen and cooking together is a great opportunity to teach them about healthy cooking and eating. This months recipe is ready in less than 15 minutes and the kids will have fun making quesadillas. Change the ingredients and quesadillas are great for breakfast, lunch or a snack. Although the recipe calls for chicken, be creative and use whatever ingredients your family enjoys.22IMARA22IMARA'