light and luscious peachsicles

Incorporate heart-healthy snacks into your family’s eating plan! And get your kids involved. Turn off the TV and video games and start by creating your grocery list together. The American Heart Association’s free, online grocery list builder at heartcheckmark.org is a fun way you and your kids can use the computer to browse through more than 800 certified heart-healthy products. Click on your favorite foods and create a shopping list you can print and take with you to the store. While you’re there, pick up the ingredients for Peachsicles.

Creating healthy snacks for kids is important, but it’s also crucial to make physical activity part of your kids’ routine. Inactivity is a major reason for the rising obesity rates among U.S. children, causing an increase in conditions that usually don’t develop until adulthood, such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.

You can help children live healthier by following these simple tips:

  • Set a good example by practicing your own heart healthy habits such as playing with your kids and eating sensibly. Keep your eyes on serving size!
  • Limit television, movies, videos, and computer games to less than two hours a day and substitute the rest of leisure time with physical activity.
  • Give your children some household chores that require physical exertion such as mowing lawns, sweeping floors, and taking out the garbage.
  • Take advantage of Rochester’s recreation opportunities — from soccer leagues to fun runs. Check out the various camps or organizations, like the YMCA, that sponsor outdoor activities like camping, hiking trips, and swimming.

PEACHSICLES

Cool your taste buds with this simple, tasty treat from the American Heart Association’s magazine cookbook “Healthy Recipes Kids Love.”

Serves: 6 — 1 per serving

1 8.25-ounce can light sliced peaches in fruit juice, drained
1 cup fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (about 2 oz.)
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cut the peaches into bite-size pieces. Put 3 pieces in each of 4 paper or plastic 5-ounce juice cups. Transfer the remaining peaches to a small bowl. Stir remaining ingredients into the bowl with peaches. Pour into juice cups. Insert a wooden Popsicle or craft stick into the center of each cup. Cover cups with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, allowing the sticks to poke through the covering. Put the cups stick-side up on a level surface in the freezer. Freeze 3 hours, or until solid. To serve, peel or cut the paper or plastic from the frozen pops.

Nutrients per serving: 71 calories, 0g total fat (0g saturated, 0g polyunsaturated, 0g monounsaturated), 15g carbohydrates, 13g sugars, 0g fiber, 1mg cholesterol, 3g protein, 37mg sodium

Dietary Exchanges: 1 fruit

To learn more about reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke through good nutrition, visit americanheart.org or call 1-800-AHAUSA1 for your free copy of the “Shop Smart with Heart” brochure.

Weblinks:
www.americanheart.org.
www.heartcheckmark.org