Sweets and pastries are food that they can easily sink their teeth in. It’s readily available and they can buy it from the small allowances that they are provided. Pressure from their playmates can also convince them to buy sugar-based food that will perk them up during play time. As a result they become restless when you give them more sugar all the time. As much as possible, supervise their intake of sugar based foods. Make sure that the amount they take in is controlled by you as their parent.

Make sure that your kids have a balanced diet. Make sure that their daily meals are all covered in the food pyramid. Give them more fiber-rich dishes and encourage them to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. You can use juicers to squeeze out the nutrients in vegetables and give it to them in juice form together with their favorite fruits.

Encourage your kids to prefer boiled and broiled dishes. Training starts at an early age, so if you remove the skin in their poultry dishes, they won’t have the craving to look for it. Make sure that the meals you prepare are naturally tasty. Avoid the use of artificial or flavor enhancers on your dishes. Vegetables can be given in small proportions until they get used to them. Don’t give them a plate full of vegetables to finish. Start with small amounts that they can easily eat. You can bargain with them during the teaching stage until they gradually get used to them.

Make sure that they regularly take in their food supplements. Your family doctors may prescribe a specific vitamin and mineral supplement that they can take on a daily basis. This will make sure that in case they don’t get a specific diet in their meals, they will still have the nutrients that their bodies need. Feeding young people can be a challenge at first. But the moment you teach them correctly, you are sure to have a good eater who will be conscious of the food they take in even when you are not looking.

You are advised to take diets comprising of food that has less fats, less sugar, more fruits and vegetables, more fish, and more fiber. You are also recommended to be extra careful of your calorie intake.

The foods that will help your cardiovascular system perform its function well are the following:

• Salmon and Tuna – Salmon and tuna are two sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 helps your heart by reducing its inflammation and the formation of blood clots. These also keep your cholesterol levels normal. It is best that you take omega-3 rich foods at least twice a week. Adding vegetables to your meal will make it a healthier diet.
• Oats – Beta glucan is a soluble fiber found in oats. It helps reduce both LDL and total cholesterol. It also maintains the health of your digestive system. Oatmeal is best served with fruits and nuts for breakfast.
• Whole Grains – Whole grains are great providers of fiber and vitamins that makes your heart healthy.
• Tomatoes – Tomatoes are one of the most common foods for a good heart. Tomatoes have lycopene that helps fight off risks of developing heart disease. It has been known that canned and cooked tomatoes have more lycopene than raw tomatoes do. Lycopene does not only help make your heart healthy, it also prevents the growth of certain cancers.
• Soy – Soy is a good source of protein that can act as substitute to lean meats. This helps you reduce the saturated fats in your body.
]]> http://www.wideworldoffood.com/food-diets-for-a-healthy-heart/feed 0 http://www.wideworldoffood.com/how-to-cook-low-calorie-foods http://www.wideworldoffood.com/how-to-cook-low-calorie-foods#comments Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:30:09 +0000 Food Blogger http://www.wideworldoffood.com/?p=374 Many people these days want to control their diets so they are eating low calorie foods, but low calorie foods that still taste great. The way to get low calorie foods that taste great is through light calorie cooking. There are a few tips to consider when embarking on light calorie cooking adventures where the calories are low but the taste is high.

Margarine As Opposed to Butter
When following recipes when preparing a meal, there are many recipes that now list a choice between using butter as an ingredient or margarine. By using margarine in the recipe instead of butter the cook cuts the caloric content significantly yet still keeps a good taste overall. It is very hard to tell the difference between margarine and butter that is used in cooked foods and since margarine is lower in calories it is a great substitute. So, the next time you are cooking and run across a choice between butter or margarine as an ingredient make the healthy and low calorie choice by using margarine. The taste will remain great and it won’t affect your waistline!

Splenda as Opposed to Sugar
Another great way in which to save on the caloric intake is to use Splenda in one’s recipes as opposed to sugar. Splenda consists of sucralose, which was approved for sale on the market in the late 1990s. Not only is this ingredient low in calories but it is great tasting as well. Splenda is also a wonderful ingredient to use in baked foods as it is heat stable and there is no real loss of the substance during cooking. For these reasons, Splenda is a great ingredient to use when cooking using those recipes which call for sugar. You won’t notice a difference, but you will enjoy great foods and beverages with considerably less calories!

These are two ways in which a calorie-conscious individual can make fantastic light calorie meals that are abundant in the taste department and easy on the waistline as well.

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