Doctors Recommend Mediterranean Diet for Kids’ Heart Health
Doctors have long recommended the Mediterranean diet, with its heart-boosting and diabetes-busting recipes, to help drop high blood pressure, stave off diabetes and eliminate inflation in patients. The diet, rich in whole grains, olive oil, eggs, legumes, and an array of fruits and vegetables, has been shown to have numerous health benefits.
Researchers said parents should allow teens and children to chow down on Mediterranean diet recipes, too. Parents can involve their kids in the process by getting them to help make the grocery list, as Brown suggests. This approach encourages healthier choices rather than opting for fast food or prepackaged snacks when hunger strikes.
The research also supports starting healthy eating habits like the Mediterranean diet early to avoid obesity and metabolic disorders, such as stroke, diabetes, and heart disease, which oftentimes begin in childhood.
“Start early, even for infants and toddlers,” Brown said. “Keeping these habits throughout your entire life will set you up for success.” By adopting the Mediterranean diet from a young age, children can reap its health benefits throughout their lives.
- The new research from JAMA Network discovered the meal plan improved heart health in children as young as 3 years old over an eight-week period. They served the children whole grains, olive oil, eggs, and legumes in breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, which also led to a drop in their cholesterol levels.
- Brown emphasized the importance of planning ahead with healthy meal planning to avoid the easy but less nutritious options that come with a busy lifestyle.
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