Home is Where the Heart is for World Heart Day 2011-US
CHICAGO – Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women and childhood obesity is growing at an alarming rate. Since research has shown that obese children are at high risk of being overweight or obese as adults – and obesity is a risk factor for CVD – the urgent link between healthy habits in childhood and prevention of CVD later in life is clear. In honor of World Heart Day on Sept. 29, 2011, CanolaInfo is promoting heart-healthy eating at home.
Scientific evidence shows that CVD risk factors can have cumulative effects over time,said Suzanne Steinbaum, D.O., preventive cardiologist, Heart and Vascular Institute, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York. This underscores the importance of developing healthy habits at an early age.
Statistics1 show that:
- More than 67 percent of American adults and about 32 percent of U.S. children ages 2 to 19 are overweight or obese.
- Between 1971 and 2004, caloric intake among U.S. adults increased by 22 percent in women and 10 percent in men, mainly due to larger portion sizes and greater intake of starches, refined grains and sugars.
- Only about 9 percent of American adults are meeting the ideal saturated fat intake level of 7 percent or less of total energy.
To combat these statistics, CanolaInfo partnered with Alison Lewis, president of Ingredients, Inc., cookbook author and mother, to create a “Home is Where the Heart is” recipe collection that both parents and children will enjoy. The recipes include:
- Breakfast Tacos
- Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks
- Mini Calzones
- Bistro Chicken Pasta Salad
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- Quick Dark Chocolate Brownies
Each recipe is made with canola oil, which has the least saturated fat and most omega-3 fat of all cooking oils. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a qualified health claim for canola oil on its potential to reduce the risk of heart disease when used in place of saturated fat.
All of her recipes are online at CanolaInfo.org and they will also be featured in an interactive game promoting heart health at Facebook.com/CanolaInfo in early September.
As a mom, it can be a struggle to create healthy meals my kids will eat, Lewis said. I succeed by using healthy ingredients to recreate classic kids' dishes that offer fun with every bite.
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For more information or high-resolution recipe photos, e-mail fyi@canolainfo.org.
1 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2011 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association, Circulation 2011, 123:e18-e209.