What parent doesn’t wish his or her child ate more fruits and vegetables?  Well maybe the trick is peer pressure. That’s the subject of this month’s “Healthier U.”

According to the Obesity Society, moderately active children between the ages of four and eight are supposed to eat 1 ½ cups of fruits and two cups of veggies per day.  

How do you get yours to do that?  Arm yourself with the list of the top five fruits and veggies other kids like the most:

5 Favorite Veggies

• Corn
• Green Beans
• Carrots
• Peas
• Mixed Vegetables

5 Favorite Fruits

• Apples
• Bananas
• Grapes
• Strawberries
• Oranges

Source:  The NPD Group

What’s the most valuable weapon is in the fruit and vegetable battle?  You.  

Research consistently shows that kids will eat what their parents eat.  If dad won’t eat broccoli, good luck getting junior to.

You can arm yourself with more information by visiting the “My Pyramid” web site which contains important guidelines, games for kids and nutritional data for thousands of foods. 

Salt and Your Health

A high sodium diet is a recipe for high blood pressure and future heart disease.  At any age, minimizing salt intake is critical.

The CDC tells us that most of the sodium we eat comes from packaged, processed, store-bought, and restaurants foods. Only about 5% comes from salt added during cooking and about 6% comes from being added at the table.

Want to be hyper-healthy?  Aim for no more than 1500 milligrams of sodium each day.  You can find out generally how much sodium you are eating by checking the labels on food products and adding up the sodium milligrams.  It’s a little trickier to keep track when you eat out.

Here is the link to a guide to the recommended daily nutritional intake for children.

CDC E-cards that Show you Care

Would you like to gently suggest to a friend or a loved on that he or she should cut back on salt or some other unhealthy habit? Send them an e-card.  

The CDC offers free e-cards that you can personalize and send.