Del Monte for a Healthy Lifestyle

09/08/07 Living a healthy lifestyle is more than just cutting calories or taking the stairs. It’s about paying attention to the benefits individual food ingredients provide for our body. It’s also about developing a regular schedule of physical activity that includes family and friends, whether it’s playing soccer with the kids or walking the dog through the neighborhood. Healthy living is truly a way of life that enhances the quality of our lives.

Del Monte Foods is encouraging Americans to live a healthy life and enables families to gather together around the table to enjoy healthy, great tasting and convenient meals. Take simple steps each day that will yield significant results towards a healthy lifestyle by adding just one more serving of fruits, vegetables and tomatoes daily, and one more serving weekly of tuna. Following are some simple ways to get started…

Just One More Serving of Fruit
It’s sweet and juicy and packed with antioxidants. No wonder fruit is such a healthy favorite! But are you getting enough? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends two cups of fruit every day. So be sure to stock up on fresh fruit in season, or choose from a variety of canned or jarred fruits like tropical mangos, seasoned pears, or chunky mixed fruits year-round. The added benefit of already peeled, sliced and diced fruit means there is no waste and no wasted time. And, since most canned fruits are equivalent in nutritional quality to their fresh counterparts, you can feel good about serving them any time. Plus, almost all canned fruits are fat free and preservative free. So be creative. There are plenty of ways to add more fruit to your family’s life….

* Pack Del Monte Mixed fruit cups in your child’s lunch.

* Keep a few packs of Fruit Naturals in your refrigerator for quick and easy breakfast or snack.

* For the finest quality, hand selected fruit, pick up a jar of Orchard Select from the produce section. It’s an easy way to eat delicious fruit as a dessert.

* Top grilled fish or chicken with Del Monte Tropical Fruit Salad or Pineapple for a Caribbean twist. Or add mandarin oranges or pears to top off salads!

* Or try Del Monte No Sugar Added peaches, pears and fruit cocktail, with 50 – 70% fewer calories and sugar versus fruit in heavy syrup. 

Just One More Serving of Vegetables and Tomatoes
Mom always told you to eat your vegetables, but never really explained why. Now there is convincing scientific evidence that proves why two-and-a-half cups of vegetables should be eaten each day.

Vegetables are packed with phytochemicals—powerful plant nutrients like lycopene found in tomatoes and lutein, found in spinach and corn. Vegetables are also bursting with antioxidant vitamins and fiber that may have a role in protecting against a variety of different diseases.

The key to selecting the healthiest vegetables for your family is color. Look for veggies that are orange, dark green and red. They’re filled with essential nutrients to help your body stay strong. And they also add color to your plate.

If you’re eating canned, you’re eating healthy too. Canned veggies are comparable in nutritional quality to their fresh and frozen counterparts. In fact, canned corn has more lutein than fresh. And canned spinach has loads of vitamins A and C. Now that you know what they can do, here are a few ways to add veggies to your diet.

* Mix a can of Del Monte Whole Leaf Spinach into your favorite soup or casserole for an added vegetable boost.

* Keep a few cans of Del Monte Savory Sides Rio Grand Vegetables in your pantry for an easy and tasty side dish -- they go great with tacos or steak and are fat free!

* Add a can of Del Monte Diced or Stewed Tomatoes to your favorite recipe! They make a perfect garnish or sauce for almost all chicken and fish dishes—and they have more lycopene than fresh.
 
Just One More Serving of Tuna
Everyone’s hooked on fish. That’s because organizations like the USDA, the American Heart Association and the American Dietetic Association are touting the health benefits of fish more than ever before. The American Heart Association advises adults and children aged 2 and over to eat at least two servings of fish a week, but most Americans eat less than half that amount.

Several varieties of fish are excellent sources of lean protein, B vitamins, niacin, selenium and Omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients play a key role in helping your body build red blood cells, reduce the risk of heart disease and macular degeneration and promote brain growth (especially in children).

Tuna is one variety of fish that provides a range of healthy nutrients. Experts recommend including tuna as an ingredient, or the main course, in at least two meals each week. With all the benefits fish offers, shouldn’t you serve some tonight?

* Tuna is a great source of lean protein: low in saturated and trans fasts and lower in calories than other proteins.

* The omega-fatty acids in canned tuna have been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, blod clots and stroke, fight heart disease and certain cancers, and help relieve depression.

StarKist offers the most complete line of tuna products available and each of them has the quality that has made StarKist #1 with consumers.