Building a healthier diet? Foods and beverages both matter

(ARA) - With children getting back to the books across the country and moms re-organizing extracurricular schedules, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is more important than ever at school and in the home. Even with busy back-to-school schedules, it's important to eat and drink healthfully.

Incorporating healthy eating and drinking habits into this year's routine can be easy - and rewarding. For instance, with a few simple substitutions parents can transform a typical packed lunch into a delicious yet nutritional powerhouse. And when it's done properly, kids won't miss a thing. A few tips:

* Swap white bread and tortillas for whole wheat.

* Replace high-calorie spreads with lower-calorie versions, and/or mustard.

* Think about increasing flavor and texture with healthful additions. Layering veggies on a sandwich really amps up its nutritional content.

* Consider baked or air-popped treats instead of fried chips.

* Trail mix, especially one full of healthful nuts and dried fruits, is a great snack that provides lasting energy.

* Packing a bottle of water like Nestle Pure Life instead of a sugary beverage is a convenient way to help save 145 calories a day. Water keeps kids healthfully hydrated and it can also help maintain concentration and alertness, whether at school or on the playing field.

Did you know that the average American guzzles three sugary drinks a day?

"Much of eating and drinking healthfully starts with simple awareness," says Bob Greene, fitness trainer to Oprah. "Caloric intake from beverages is on the rise, as are the health risks associated with diets high in calories."

According to a survey released earlier this year, most Americans realize the number of calories they are knocking back with every sugary drink is just as important as the calories in the food they eat. However, fewer than half of those surveyed rarely pay attention to the caloric content of the drinks they enjoy and serve to their families.

"That's why I helped to create the Nestle Pure Life Pledge," says Greene. "We're encouraging consumers to get the whole family involved by taking one easy step: replace one sugared beverage a day with water for one year, to eliminate more than 50,000 calories from their diet."

For more information, and to take the pledge, log on to www.nestle-purelife.us. When it comes to healthy living, making simple adjustments to what you and your family are already doing can have a big impact.