Let’s face it – getting kids to eat healthy and stay active is a common challenge for parents. Children need a wide variety in their diet to get all the nutrients they need, but most kids are happy to live on macaroni & cheese with a side of peanut butter & jelly while mastering their latest downloaded app.

They will get some health benefits from this menu IF you are a savvy parent and offer up only whole wheat noodles, make your own sauce using real milk and shredded cheese and switch to whole wheat bread instead of white, it still stands: kids need a wide variety of food & activity to stay healthy.

What tends to be missing from the typical mac and cheese plus PB and J diet is all the beneficial key nutrients necessary to maintain their heart health.

The 3 Keys to Raising Heart Healthy Kids

#1: Add Heart Healthy Foods to the Menu Plan

 1. Salmon and tuna are excellent sources of Omega 3 fatty acids that protect your heart.
2. Oats, the steel cut or rolled kind instead of instant if you can. Oatmeal keeps their digestive system on track.
3. Black beans tossed in a spaghetti sauce, chili or salad are full of B-complex vitamins, niacin, folate, fiber and even some Omega 3’s!
4. Apples are natures candy! Sweet, juicy and full of vitamins and fiber . . if you can get your little ones to eat the skin.
5. Almonds are packed with healthy oils, protein, fiber and Vitamin E and make a great after school snack.
6. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, or romaine lettuce instead of ice burg bump up the nutritional value in your salad, adding folate and Vitamin E.
7. Tomatoes, even canned ones, are packed with vitamins and lycopene, which has been shown to reduce heart disease. Use them to make your own spaghetti sauce and reap the benefits.

#2: Get Moving by Adding Daily Exercise to the Routine

Research shows that to maintain optimal health kids need to stay active. How much activity ranges from 20 to 30 minutes 3 or 4 times a week to 60 minutes every single day. Regardless of time, we know that active kids sleep better, eat better, are more alert, have fewer colds, and have a better chance of growing into healthy, active adults.

School generally proves two 20-minute outdoor periods during the day, but often kids have choir practice, concert rehearsal or even unfinished homework that causes them to miss these crucial activity breaks. Scheduling in something physical for the kids after school is key. Active lessons, such as dance, karate, swimming or hockey, will keep them moving and keep those hearts pumping healthy and strong.

#3: Include a Healthy Dose of Lifestyle Education

What is that Chinese proverb again? “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” It so applies here. Insist your kids eat broccoli and they will reap the nutrient rewards today, teach them why it is so important to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables everyday and their health will benefit as they get older and make their own food choices.

It works for staying active too. My kids watch me snap on my bike helmet, tie up my running shoes and they know how many times a week Mom and Dad go to the gym. More importantly, they know why. We educate them on the benefits of regular exercise and lead by example, so for them, a healthy heart is just part of growing up.