No matter how dedicated you are to ensuring your family eats a healthy diet, hectic schedules often prevent us from making smart choices.

Parents know that accommodating healthy eating habits becomes a particular challenge during the school year. Keeping up with the kids can leave little time for meal and snack planning, but it is an important step to raising healthy children.
 
Saint Thomas Heart at Middle Tennessee Medical Center (MTMC) is holding a free cooking demonstration and tasting as part of Saint Thomas Heart’s Heart Healthy Cooking School series on Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. “Back to School…Heart Healthy Eating” is the demonstration tasting and theme.
 
The event, designed to provide attendees with valuable information on how to choose better ingredients and recipes for their hearts, will be held in MTMC’s Meeting Room. Free parking is available. Call 1-800-588-3270 to register for the class or to get more information.

Registered dietitian Jenna Vandiver and chef George Moran will lead the class, which will also feature a Saint Thomas Heart at MTMC cardiologist who will discuss the importance of healthy eating in improving overall cardiac health.
 
Saint Thomas Heart at MTMC offers the following tips as parents prepare back to school snacks for their children:
Becoming accustomed to reading labels when purchasing food is important for a healthy diet and especially when it comes to snacks. A lot of “snack food” – enticing to both children and adults – is often packed full of sugar and empty calories.

Keep snacks to 100 calories or less per serving. Snacks such as fresh fruit, raw vegetables, nuts and low-fat yogurt are all excellent options to curb cravings.

While you should always eat if you’re truly hungry, it is important to keep snacking to a minimum. The body benefits from a mid-day snack – so long as the snack is healthy.

Consuming water throughout the day – a recommended eight glasses – helps keep hunger at bay and is an essential part of maintaining overall health.

Plan ahead and keep snacking simple. Packing a healthy snack to take on-the-go will help avoid the temptation of unhealthy eating choices during the day.
 
The Heart Healthy Cooking School presented by Saint Thomas Heart began in 1996 and has helped tens of thousands of Middle Tennesseans learn to prepare fun, easy and heart-healthy meals. The Heart Healthy Cooking School offers classes throughout the year at Baptist Hospital, Middle Tennessee Medical Center and other locations throughout Middle Tennessee.

For more information, visit www.saintthomasheart.com or www.moresurvivors.com.