Written by Allina Health dietician, Michele Schaper MS, RD, LD

As a dietitian one of the most common things I hear is “I can’t eat healthy, it is too expensive”. There are many ways to start saving so that the easy choice is to choose healthy. Here are some healthy tips that will help meet your budget.

Plan Ahead

Plan your meals and snacks for the week before going to the grocery store. Cross check the recipes to what you already have on hand to make your shopping list. When you shop with a list, you will be less likely to purchase other items you really don’t need.  Although, this takes time initially eventually you will be able to recycle your weekly meal and snack plans.

Buy Store or Generic Brands

Both store and generic brands may not be packaged as “pretty” as the name brand product, but other than that they will have nearly the same ingredients. Both store brand and generic brands will typically cost much less than the national brand, without sacrificing taste.

Shopping Tips at the Grocery Store

Shop the perimeter of the store as much as possible – this is where you will find the basics of a healthy diet – fruits, veggies, dairy, and lean meats.  To find the best deal on similar products start by looking at the unit prices, which show the price per pound or ounce. This information can be found on the price tag.

How to Shop Fruits and Veggies

Purchasing in-season produce will be cheaper and at its most flavorful. When not in season opt for the “fresh frozen” version which can be just as healthy. Avoid packages that have sauces or special seasonings as they will have added sodium and/or fat.  Fruits and veggies tend to be cheaper in bulk and will help stretch to more meals.  When purchasing canned foods make sure they are packed in their own juices or water and watch out for high sodium levels.  Avoid bagged/washed/pre-cut fruits and veggies as these are more expensive and you will get less quantity for your money.

How to shop Meats

Refer to the Plate Method Portions – Try not to think of the meat as the main dish but more like a side dish for meals. Avoid purchasing marinated and/or prepared meats-these are more expensive-do the prep work yourself to save money.  Preparing soups, stews, and chili’s packed full of vegetables and grains will allow less meat to fill you up and again help to meet your budget.  Try to plan two or more meatless meals per week and substitute with nutritious legumes. Avoid marinated and/or prepared meats – these are more expensive – do the prep-work yourself to save some money.

Portion Size Counts

Check in and look at your portions-eating too much of even lower cost foods can add up to extra dollars.  A simple step to help in reducing portions is to start with smaller plates, glasses, and bowls.  Follow guidelines from the USDA –“choose my plate” , fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, one quarter with whole grains, and the other quarter with lean meat (poultry, seafood or beans) and complete the meal with one cup of milk or dairy equivalent. Often our idea of what a portion size is tends to be significantly more than what is intended-driving up cost and calories.

Eat in More and Eat out Less

Many foods prepared at home are not only cheaper but healthier too.  Living in the digital world has some wonderful benefits where you can now find several websites that can help guide you in weekly meal planning that is simple to prepare, family friendly, and less expensive.  Finding recipes with the use of the following ingredients will not only help stretch your food dollars but will also contribute to nutritious meals: legumes (beans), lentils, sweet and white potatoes, eggs (in moderation), natural nut butters, oats, brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat bread, frozen vegetables and fruits, oranges, bananas, and canned tuna to name a few. (See Healthy Food and Price Chart for average price of ingredients in the Midwest.)

Check out our “Grocery Store Virtual Tour” and “Marketing Mania” lessons to help you and your family make the most out of your shopping trips to the supermarket.

There are many more reasons to keep your teeth clean than just having a nice smile, though that’s a good one too! Tooth decay (also known as cavities or dental caries) affects children in the United States more than any other chronic (long-lasting) infectious disease. If not prevented or properly treated, it can cause infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking and learning.

Kids may also worry about bad breath. Almost everyone has bad breath (also known as halitosis) once in a while. It can be embarrassing, but usually not a problem beyond that. Common causes are:

• bacteria from food stuck to or caught in your teeth
• a dry mouth
• eating certain foods with strong odors or odor producing qualities
• taking certain kinds of medicines
• chewing or smoking tobacco
• respiratory illness.

In some cases, a more serious health-related issue could be causing bad breath. It’s important to talk to a doctor or dentist if it becomes a chronic (long-lasting) problem.

Remember, healthy teeth are one sign of good health.

Check out our “Smile Bright! Tooth care” and “Bad Breath: What to do about it” lessons to remind your children to brush twice daily and let them know that taking care of their teeth is part of a healthy lifestyle.

Allina Health is a proud sponsor of the Minnesota Action for Healthy Kids 2017 Healthy Schools Conference – Turning Knowledge into Action! This year’s conference will feature evidence-based policies and practices that allow students and staff to learn and work in a healthy school environment.

Date: Thursday, February 23, 2017
Time: 7:45 AM – 3:45 PM (CT)
Location: Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Center, MN
Cost: $95

Register here

Who should attend? Teachers, nutrition staff, school nurses, school wellness team members, administrators, parents, students (secondary and college), playground supervisors, local public health, staff from health care and community based organizations. All are welcome.

Keynote Address: Dr. Sharroky Hollie, Director of the Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning

 

 

 

 

Sample of Breakout Sessions:

• Physical Activity in Schools through a Health Equity Lens
• Student Wellness: Integrating PA, Mindfulness and Healthy Eating Throughout the School Day
• Healthy Options in Schools: How to Capitalize on Parent Support
• The Power of Partnership and Policy in Student and Community Health
• Let’s Talk about Kids’ Mental Well-Being
• Project Breakfast and much more!

Please contact Ann Kisch if you need invoice/receipt, want to pay by check or have questions.

Getting enough sleep may be as important to your health as regular exercise and a healthy diet. Sleep plays an important role in healthy growth and development. Our body needs the deep rest it gets during sleep to help prevent injury, illness and brain development.

Sleep also helps us remember what we’ve learned, it helps us pay attention and concentrate, solve problems and think of new ideas. Studies show people can focus better when they’ve had enough sleep, that’s especially important for kids during school. Having enough sleep simply makes us feel better during the day.

Here are some things that can help anyone get into a good sleep routine:

1. Go to sleep at about the same time every night.
2. Do the same relaxing activities every night, like brushing teeth and reading a story. These activities will help you calm down.
3. Avoid drinks that have caffeine in them, such as coffee or cola.
4. Get some exercise every day (but not too close to bedtime).
5. Take a nice warm bath or shower before bed.

Setting the stage for good sleep now is an important habit that can make a difference in your child’s future health. Check out our “Super Sleep” lesson to help your child determine how many hours of sleep they should get each night and learn how to track healthy sleeping habits in a sleep diary.

With winter in full force, we’re spending a significant amount of time indoors. In order to reduce germs and lower our chances of getting sick, it’s important to practice good hand-washing techniques.

Washing your hands is the easiest way to reduce the risk of spreading germs that cause infections. Hands get more germs on them than other parts of your body.

Everyone can benefit from learning good hand-washing techniques. You should your wash hands after:

• using the bathroom
• blowing your nose
• coughing
• sneezing
• before eating

If you can’t get to a sink, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Your friends and family will thank you!

Be sure to check out our “Wash Hands for Health!” and “Hand-Washing: A Weapon Against Germs!” lessons to help the kids you know increase their chances of staying well!

Electronic cigarettes (also called e-cigarettes) are battery-operated devices designed to deliver nicotine with flavorings and other chemicals to users in vapor instead of smoke. They can be manufactured to resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes, cigars or pipes, or even everyday items like pens.

More than 250 different e-cigarette brands are currently on the market and they are often marketed as a safe alternative to smoking since they don’t fill the lungs with harmful smoke. They do, however, still put nicotine – a highly addictive drug – into the body.

Nicotine affects the brain, nervous system, and heart. It raises blood pressure and heart rate. The larger the dose of nicotine, the more a person’s blood pressure and heart rate go up. This can cause an abnormal heart rate (arrhythmia). In rare cases, especially when large doses of nicotine are involved, arrhythmias can cause heart failure and death.

In honor of Lung Cancer Awareness month (November), now is a good time to use our Health Powered Kids lesson, “Tobacco and e-cigarettes” to  help young people gain an understanding of the harmful effects of tobacco on the body, recognize some of the poisonous chemicals found in cigarettes, and analyze advertisements for cigarettes, e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.

There is no doubt about it, moving around is good for our bodies. There are lots of great ways for families to be active that don’t require expensive gym memberships or special sports or classes.

The American Heart Association recommends children get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. For health benefits, adults should be moderately active for at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week. Is that about how much you get? Lots of people actually over estimate the amount of physical activity they get.

Try this activity to see how much physical activity you and your family are really getting. Have each person make a list of the following ways they get activity in a week.

• How much activity time do you get at school or work?
• How much activity time do you get when you’re home after school or work?
• What about exercise on the weekends?

If you’re not getting the amount of activity you’d like, consider buying pedometers for each member of your family and launching a “pedometer challenge” to check daily and weekly footsteps. Offer small rewards for the person who wins at the end of each day, bigger rewards for the person who has the highest total at the end of each week.

Make sure the prizes are health-related, or at least don’t involve unhealthful foods. Prizes could include things like getting to choose the next family activity or the next meal.

Use our Health Powered Kids lessons, “Pedometer Fitness Challenge” to find links to a pedometer challenge tracking sheet and two pedometer challenge maps. The maps show how many steps it would take your family to travel from Mall of America to various Minnesota and Wisconsin landmarks. The water parks in Wisconsin Dells are only 438,000 steps away! Ready, set, step!

Cambridge Medical Center, part of Allina Health, is offering a monthlong Health Powered Families course in nutrition during October.

The classes will take place from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursdays beginning Oct. 6 through Oct. 27 at Cambridge Medical Center.

Information covered in the classes will include reading nutrition labels, understanding portion sizes and navigating food choices at home and at the store.

Participants must commit to all four class sessions. The classes are open to children ages 10 to 17, but they must be accompanied by an adult.

All class sessions include samples of healthy foods as well as other interactive, hands-on learning activities.

Continue reading about Health Powered Families and learn how to sign-up.

Milk and cookies may be a classic snack for kids, but choosing healthier snacks is a habit you’ll want to start forming at an early age. Snacks can, and should, be part of a healthful diet. They help children refuel between meals and satisfy hunger. Unfortunately, your child’s snack choices are often influenced by catchy names and marketing strategies geared toward children. This is a contributing factor that can lead to increased calorie intake and higher obesity levels.

When we think of healthful snack choices, we should look to the five food groups – vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy and protein. Good examples include string cheese, apples and carrots. It also helps to keep a selection of ready-to-eat veggies in the refrigerator or fresh fruit in a bowl on the counter. Stock up on low-sugar, whole-grain cereal and fruit packaged in its own juice in an easily accessible cabinet.

It’s also important to read nutritional labels. Foods marketed as low-fat or fat-free can still be high in calories and sodium. Similarly, foods touted as cholesterol-free can still be high in fat, saturated fat and sugar.

Broadening the types of food offered, or available, to children will also help them discover new, healthy foods and will help set the stage for a lifetime of healthy eating.

Use our Health Powered Kids lessons, “Smart Snacking” and “Create Your Own Healthful Snack” to teach your child to make healthy snack choices today.

Eat out at any restaurant and you’ll likely notice food portions are quite large. In fact, trying to figure out a correct serving size can be confusing. Some portions are called “super-size,” while others have simply grown in size and provide enough food for at least two people. Even the kids menu can be misleading as kid-sized food and drinks often vary in sizes.

A portion is the amount of food you choose to eat for a meal or a snack. To help determine how much food and drink is enough for your kids, it helps to understand the nutritional value. Many foods that come as a single portion actually have multiple servings. The Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods—found on the backs of cans, sides of boxes, etc. — tells you the number of servings in the container.

It is important for young people to understand that this distortion of portion sizes is causing us to think we can eat more of certain foods than our bodies truly need which can lead to being overweight or obese and an increased risk for chronic (long-lasting) disease.

The next time you eat, encourage your kids to pay particular attention to the experience: chew, eat and bite many times; notice the texture and feel of the food. It takes 20 minutes for our brains to register that we are full. By slowing down and enjoying the food, it will help us control how much we eat and makes mealtime more enjoyable for everyone around the table.

Use our Health Powered Kids lessons, “Portion Distortion” and “What’s My Portion Size?” to help kids understand how portion sizes factor into maintaining a healthy lifestyle.