Healthy heart habits for toddlers and children
Heart health starts in the womb and it is never too early to get children on the road to heart-healthy living. And the best route to heart-healthy living? Good habits formed at an early age.
Toddler are like sponges. They spend every day soaking up the wonderful world around them. By the time adulthood sets in, this ability to soak up new concepts and learn new things has vastly diminished. In the same way, learning good habits is much, much easier if you start young and forming a good habit is nowhere near as difficult as breaking a bad one, so do your little ones a favour and make heart-healthy choices a part of everyday life – it could just save their lives one day.
As your child grows, he naturally spends more time away from you – at playgroup, at school and with friends. This is the time that the habits he has learned at home stand him in good stead.
Take the time to encourage physical activity from a young age. Lead by example and get active with your children, this will create a love of sport and the outdoors, this will naturally steer your child towards a healthy, active lifestyle and very likely lead to friendships with like-minded peers.
Teach good eating habits, a love of fresh fruit and veggies and a good appetite for the many healthy food options available. The Heart and Stroke Foundation advises parents to limit unhealthy foods, but not to ban them altogether. Banning any form of treat, fast food or sugary snack just leads to children craving them and finding ways to indulge at parties and friends’ houses.
Here is a great recipe by Heleen Meyer from Cooking from the Heart 2 with Pharma Dynamics ,for a delicious and healthy family treat – the kids will beg for more.
Sweetcorn fritters
Makes 30 small fritters
- ½ x 410 g tin whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 x 410 g tin cream style sweetcorn
- 1 cup (250 ml) wholewheat flour
- ½ tsp (2,5 ml) baking powder
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup (125 ml) low-fat or fat-free milk
- 1 tsp (5 ml) ground mixed spice
- ½ small onion, finely chopped or grated
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) sunflower oil
Instructions:
- Mix all the ingredients, except the oil, together in a large bowl.
- Heat a thin layer of the oil in a frying pan. Add tablespoonfuls of the mixture to the pan and fry on both sides until golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the oil and mixture.
- Drain on paper towel and serve warm as a side dish.
Tips:
- Pumpkin fritters: Substitute kernel corn and sweetcorn for 2-3 cups cooked and mashed pumpkin or butternut. Fry as above.
- Mixed veggie fritters: Replace the kernel corn with 1 carrot and 1 baby marrow, grated. Fry as above.
- Any left-overs are ideal for lunch the next day. Kids will love them as a snack in their lunch-boxes.
For more information, contact the Heart and Stroke Health Line on 0860 1 HEART (43278) or email heart@heartfoundation.co.za or on www.facebook.com/HeartStrokeSA and www.twitter.com/SAHeartStroke and www.heartfoundation.co.za