Healthy Eating is largely impacted by the ability or inability to access healthier food choices. The availability of affordable, appealing, healthy food options, coupled with the knowledge needed to make an informed choice will help Minnesotans focus on increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables while reducing consumption of saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars. Living Healthy Washington County works with community partners to make healthy foods accessible to all, especially for those who have the greatest barriers to accessing healthy, safe food.
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Children spend more time in schools than in any other environment away from home, and healthy students come to school ready to learn. On average, students consume 35-50 percent of their daily total calories at school. Healthy Eating strategies at school focus on increasing fruit and vegetables, decreasing sodium, saturated fat and added sugars in food and beverages available and sold at school. Living Healthy Washington County works with school partners to implement evidence-based activities to reach these goals including farm to school, school-based agriculture, healthy snacks during the school day, healthy snacks outside of the school day, and implementing smarter lunchrooms.
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Living Healthy Washington County engages employers as partners in workplace wellness by addressing strategies that support overall wellness. Strategies that increase fruit and vegetable consumption, and decrease sodium, added sugar and saturated fat by addressing vending, healthy snack stations, catering and/or foods served at staff meetings.
The Dietary Guidelines, 2020–2025 aims to help all Americans follow a healthy eating pattern at every stage of life. Nutrition isn’t one-size-fits-all, so the Dietary Guidelines offers a framework that people can use to find a dietary pattern that works for them. The guidelines provide an evidence-based approach to chronic disease prevention and include an adaptable frame work in which people can enjoy foods that meet their personal, cultural, and traditional preferences.
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