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Choosing Healthy And Fun Foods For Children

Posted 4/29/2011

Help children to choose healthy foods now so they choose healthy foods as adults.

(NAPSI) - According to the American Heart Association, one in three children and teens in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and these children have a 70 to 80 percent chance of being overweight as adults. But as most parents know, getting children to eat healthy foods can be challenging.

“It’s important for parents to instill healthy eating habits in children from an early age so they’ll make healthy choices as adults,” said Sharon McNerney, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for Chicken of the Sea. “Give them easy access to healthy foods and get them involved in the shopping and cooking process early on.”

McNerney offers these tips:

• Leave fruit or carrot sticks on the table to help children get the recommended amount of five fruits and vegetables a day.

• Serve vegetables on, in or with something children already enjoy (like a pizza or stirred into macaroni and cheese).

• Switch to low- or nonfat milk, yogurt and cheese.

• Use tuna and salmon, which are naturally rich in omega-3s, vitamin D and selenium, in dishes that call for other proteins.

• Replace ice cream and cake with fruit-based desserts.

• To create an interest in healthy foods at the supermarket, help toddlers identify colors and shapes, preschoolers compare sizes, and kindergartners find healthy foods that begin with each letter of the alphabet.

• Get your child in the kitchen. If children learn to contribute to making meals, they’re more likely to eat what’s put before them.

Try this Fresh Tomato and Salmon Pizza for a great-tasting and healthy recipe. For more kid-friendly recipes, visit www.chickenofthesea.com. While you are there, check out the Chicken of the Sea Funniest Kids’ Quotes Contest™. The funny things your child says could win your family a trip to a Disney park, $1,000 or $500. Enter by June 6, 2011 for a chance to win.

Fresh Tomato and Salmon Pizza

Ingredients:

1 (6-oz.) Chicken of the Sea® Premium Skinless & Boneless Pink Salmon Pouch

1 (12-inch) prebaked pizza crust

2 cups of tomato pizza sauce

2 cups shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

¼ medium red onion, sliced

3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450° F. Place pizza crust on ungreased baking sheet. Spread pizza sauce on crust and then top with mozzarella cheese, Chicken of the Sea® Salmon (flaked), onion, tomatoes and basil. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Cut into eight wedges. Serves four to eight.