Online Service Offers Tools For Healthy Family Eating (NAPSA)—According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight or cbese. As the nation continues to battle obesity, parents are encouraged to instill in their children healthy eating habits that last a lifetime. Meais Matter (www.mealsmat ter.org), a resource offering menu planning tools and individual nutrition profiles for family members, provides simple ideas to Sitting down te a healthy meal change family eating habits. The site, which also lists nutritious together is a good start to improving a family’s eating habits. Jan. 15 through March 31 te encourage parents to share quick and healthyrecipes. “With the growing concern over obesity among children, many families are re-assessing their dietary habits,” said Mary Anne Burkman, registered s dietitian and contributor for Meals Matter. “By taking just a few extra minutes to plan a weekly menu and select healthy dishes, parents can have a significant impact on the health of the entire family.” While entering the contest, participants can find ideas to change family diets. For example: * Select a menu and stick with it. Parents should decide what foods are offered and when. Children can decide how much (Gf any) often to blame. Do not watch television during meals. Research shows that people eat more and faster when snacking or dining in front of the TV. Encourage children to participate in menu planning and meal preparation. It is not only a recipes, will hast a recipe contest is eaten. Introduce a child to new, nutritious food while including some tried and true favorites. * Hat more meals together. Family meals are not just a great way to supervise a child’s eating habits, but they also encourage conversation. Hat at home. Family members often consume twice as many calories when dining out versus eating at home. Super-sized por- tions and higher fat choices are great learning experience, but children also enjoy thefruits of their labor. To enter the recipe contest, visit www.mealsmatter.org and select the appropriate course category: salad, snack, appetizer, entre and soup/stews. Participants are asked to submit a healthy original recipe that contains at least three of the five food groups: * Milk, yogurt and cheese; * Meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts; * Vegetahles; Fruits; and Breads, cereal, rice and pasta. The receipe mustalso be considered quick—from the pantry to the table in less than an hour. Winners will receive a $500 pift certificate to Williams-Sonoma or $200in free groceries. For more information or contest rules, visit www.mealsmatter.org.
