Celebrating National Nutrition Month With Good-For-You Food News

Our not-so-nutritious life keep making headlines: "Do not eat this, avoid that" on the chopping block everything from fast food, soft drinks and red meat that trans fats, saturated fats and sodium-laden foods. It's no wonder that March is designated National Nutrition month.

It was estimated that one third of our children / adolescents are either overweight or obese, putting them at greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and other health problems. We adults are faring no better. Indeed, according to the National Health and Nutrition examination survey data, two thirds of adults in this country are overweight, a third of this group actually obese.

One of the reasons we are filling in the not-so-good for us good:

• small fast food order of french fries loaded with 230 calories, with 11 grams fat, 160 milligrams and sodium.

• Just one slice of a typical 14 "cheese pizza is offered with 300 calories, 11 grams fat, 750 milligrams and sodium.

• The one-ounce bag of chips is worth 150 calories, 10 grams fat, 180 milligrams and sodium.

• Only 3 cream-filled cookies fill you with 160 calories, 7 grams fat, 210 milligrams and sodium.

You can get an idea, it all adds up. Quickly.

is no doubt: our food choices are expanding our waistlines and compromises our health and our children as well. All-too absent from our diet:. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats and low-fat milk

Enter the federal government. With regard to food choices our kids make, and as a typical school fare like pizza, hot dogs, fries and tacos, in December, President Obama signed a $ 4.5 billion (more than 10 years) healthy, hunger-Free Kids Act, designed to improve the school meal offer. Among other things, to ...

• requires that water be available during meal service, free of charge,

• Strengthens Local School Wellness Policies,

• Promotes Farm-to-school program,

• Gives the Secretary of Agriculture authority to establish nutritional standards for all foods sold in schools during the day.

In the meantime, more changes are on the horizon when it comes to food served in schools. In January, the USDA proposed a new set of standards for food by the National School Lunch Program, which provides free or reduced cost lunches for about 31 million children. In a word, they are looking for:

• reduce the amount of starchy vegetables such as corn, peas, potatoes, and

• Serve only unflavored 1% milk or fat free flavored or unflavored milk,

• The number of fruits and vegetables that are offered;

• The increase in whole grains significantly,

• Minimize trans fat,

• Reduce sodium in meals over the next ten years.

Make no mistake about it, though, it all starts at home. Take these recommendations to heart, study food labels when grocery shopping, and then adjust your meal and snack offerings. And while you're at it, put exercise and outdoor play on everyone's to-do list, too. Better health all around,. No regrets