Give The Gift of Love – Be Good to Your Child’s Heart

Your Family's Heart health and Cholesterol

One simple way to start taking care of your family's heart is to have your cholesterol level tested. In fact, new studies are suggesting that it is a good idea for children to get their cholesterol tested too. The body needs some cholesterol to function but too much cholesterol can cause problems for the heart. Most of your cholesterol is made by your liver but you also get cholesterol from foods you eat. Teaching kids about healthy choices of foods that are lower in cholesterol will keep your child's heart very happy!
Foods High In Cholesterol
What foods are high in cholesterol? It's easy, only food that comes from animals have cholesterol. Cholesterol comes from fatty animal foods.
Plant foods like beans, fruits and vegetables don't have cholesterol. But there is more. Foods that are high in fiber can actually lower your cholesterol. It helps clean out the cholesterol so your family's heart can function efficiently. Diet, exercise, and weight loss can also lower your cholesterol level.
Heart Healthy Tips for the Whole Family
Here are some heart healthy tips that will keep your cholesterol level at a healthy level cholesterol level at a healthy level:
Increase Fiber Intake

Serve oatmeal for breakfast and switch over to 100% whole wheat bread

Add beans to soups or offer as a side dish

Place sliced fruit and veggies on the table for your child

Offer fresh fruit smoothies using low-fat yogurt

Heart Healthy tips and fun printable
Helping Your Child Eat More Fiber Tips Healthy Snack Ideas
Family Fitness Tips, Being Active and Fit
Free healthy heart message lunch cards
Fun St Patricks Day Tips and Kids’ Activities Promoting a Healthy Greens
Support and resources for the parent with the overweight child
Kids’ Healthy Heart Nutrition Story Fun Page

Decrease Saturated Fat Intake

Offer lowfat mozzarella or Swiss cheese

Serve fish and chicken breast more often than red meat

Stir fry and bake your meals instead of deep frying

Serve vegetarian meals and skip the meat; your child can get plenty of protein from 1% milk, non-fat yogurt, beans, peanut butter, and tofu.

Use spray dressings vs. traditional Thousand Island or Blue Cheese salad dressing

Increase Intake of Healthy Fats - Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats

Cook with olive, safflower, or canola oil (use small amounts as oils are high in calories)

Offer 2 tablespoons of cashews on top of yogurt; all nuts have healthy fat in them. (nuts can be a choking hazard so avoid offering to young children or children with nut allergies)

Seeds can be another great source for healthy oils. You can add ground flax seeds into a fruit smoothie or a on top of their favorite cereal or salad.

Add avocado slices to a salad

Daily Movement – Get Your Heart Rate Up

Get the dance music on and dance with your child

Turn off the computer games and play basketball with your child

Go for a walk with your child

Sign your child up for swimming or gymnastics at the local recreation department

Prioritize your day so that movement happens – mark it down on the calendar as a reminder

We now know that changes in the heart can begin at a very young age. By making these simple little changes, you can be keeping family heart healthy. Remember, small changes do add up!
Happy Healthy Heart.
More Cholesterol and Kids Resources
Cholesterol tests for kids

Written on February 2011
Last updated: February 2011