Here’s another good reason to load up your daughter’s plate (and lunch bag) with lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains: Eating high-fiber foods during adolescence and young adulthood may decrease a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, finds a new study inPediatrics. In fact, with each additional 10 grams of daily fiber during young adulthood, breast cancer risk may be cut by 13 percent.
The study, from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, looked at the food intake of women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study II. In 1991, more than 90,000 young adult women completed questionnaires about their food intake at the time. In addition, more than 44,000 of those women completed questionnaires about their food intake during high school. The researchers analyzed fiber intake and monitored the group for breast cancer incidence.
What they found: Women who consumed more dietary fiber during adolescence had a 16 percent lower overall risk of developing breast cancer and a 24 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer before menopause. Women who consumed more dietary fiber in young adulthood had a 12 to 19 percent lower breast cancer risk. Check out this produce perk: Fruit and vegetables offered the greatest risk reduction.
Breast cancer is strongly linked with high estrogen levels in the blood. Fiber-rich foods prevent the reabsorption of estrogen, thereby lowering levels of the hormone in the blood, and a possibly, woman’s risk for the disease.
Of course, fiber is beneficial for so many reasons—it has been shown to reduce the risk for obesity, heart disease and diabetes, and it may also help keep weight in check. Need some fun and fiber-rich snack ideas?
Mini Veggie Pizzas
Pizza-loving kids can get their cheesy fix with this healthy and scrumptious snack-size rendition. Top a toasted, whole-grain tortilla, English muffin, or mini pita with marinara sauce, a variety of colorful vegetables (broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers, or any other favorites) and part-skim mozzarella cheese and bake it in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. These pint-sized pizza pies are the perfect vehicle for getting your kids to eat more vegetables.
Chocolaty Chip Yogurt
Calcium-rich yogurt is already a kid favorite, but you can turn protein-packed Greek varieties into a special treat by stirring in a sweet surprise. Simply add one tablespoon of chocolate chips to a single-serving container of vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt…and you’ve got a power snack with a sundae-inspired twist. Go for dark or semisweet chocolate chips, which have more health-boosting flavonoids than milk chocolate.
Sweetened Ricotta Cream with Berries
Don’t be fooled by how decadent this treat tastes; it truly is loaded with good-for-you ingredients. Naturally sweet berries provide fiber and brain-boosting antioxidants, and the creamy ricotta fills kids up with calcium and protein, essential nutrients during childhood growth spurts. You gotta love a yummy dessert with this much nutrition power!
Magic Beans
This nutrient-packed super food is a terrific finger-friendly snack for kids of all ages. Edamame — young, green soybeans — are a high-quality source of vegetarian protein. These green goodies also provide calcium and potassium for strong, healthy bones, along with a good dose of fiber to help keep kids regularly going to the bathroom. Steam a few cups of edamame in the pod, and let the kids have some hands-on fun snapping the pods open and popping the “magic beans” into their mouths.
Parmesan Popcorn
Grab a favorite flick and get the popcorn going for movie night. A bowl of crunchy, air-popped popcorn is one of the easiest ways to get your kids eating more whole grains. Four cups deliver about 5 grams heart-healthy fiber and only 120 calories (fewer calories than a single serving of chips). Jazz up your snack bowl by lightly misting with canola or grapeseed oil and sprinkling on grated Parmesan for a cheesy finish kids love. If you don’t have an air popper, no problem. Get my easy trick for popping plain kernels right in your
PB-Banana Freeze Pop
Your little guys will go bananas for this sweet and healthy treat. Split a banana lengthwise and spread one half with peanut or almond butter. Look for all-natural nut butters with no added sugar or oil in the ingredients. Sandwich the two banana halves together, wrap in plastic wrap, freeze solid…and you have a homemade banana pop !
Un fried Cheese Sticks with Marinara Dip
A staple on restaurants’ children’s menus, deep-fried mozzarella sticks are a nutritional disaster with their full-fat cheesy center coated in oil-soaked junky breading. To keep kids smiling, here’s a healthier, unfriedversion that cuts bad fat without sacrificing flavor. Just dunk a part-skim or reduced-fat mozzarella cheese stick in a dish of warm marinara sauce and swirl it around for guilt-free goodness. This fun finger food delivers a hearty dose of protein and bone-building calcium.
Apple Slices with Maple-Cinnamon Peanut Butter Dip
Apples and peanut butter are the perfect after school snack, but I’ve made this kid favorite extra tasty with a few special ingredients. Serve up fruit slices with this yummy Maple-Cinnamon Peanut Butter Dip and be prepared to hear your kids begging for more!
Source :
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