Health

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SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 6 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Families can eat healthy and save money without sacrificing freshness or flavor by downloading Meals Matter's free online Family Meal Plan and Shopping List.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/mealsmatter/38903/

This new tool, available at http://www.mealsmatter.org/en-espanol/plan-familiar-de-comidas.pdf , helps families eat healthy by ensuring a variety of healthy foods from all of the food groups, including fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free milk and dairy foods, whole grains and meats, beans and nuts. By providing a shopping list with ingredients to prepare a week of dinners for six people, families can save money by limiting impulse buys and extra trips to the grocery store.

"Everyone can benefit from planning meals and using healthy shopping lists, but this is a change for families used to making frequent trips to the market or grocery store for fresh food items," said Los Angeles-area registered dietitian Monica Montes with N.E.W. Health Consultants. "We developed this special Family Meal Plan and Shopping List to help Latino families eat healthy and save money without sacrificing freshness or flavor."

The Meals Matter "Family Meal Plan and Shopping List" combines

-- Traditional ingredients like beans, rice, nopales, mango and tomatillos

-- Healthier versions of familiar recipes like enchiladas that use plain yogurt instead of sour cream for more calcium, protein and potassium with fewer calories

-- A weeklong shopping list with enough items to prepare six servings of each recipe.

Planning, preparing and eating meals together at home is a healthy, fun and inexpensive way to stay connected as a family. Home-cooked meals are generally less expensive and more nutritious than meals eaten away from home, and children who help family members prepare and enjoy healthy foods will form healthy eating habits as well.

To help families eat healthy and save money, download the free Meals Matter Family Meal Plan and Shopping list today. Important tips on storing fresh produce and cooking with children are also available at http://www.mealsmatter.org/En-Espanol/En-foco/Planear-comidas-de-familia.aspx

Meals Matter is a free family nutrition and meal-planning website staffed by registered dietitians and sponsored by Dairy Council of California.

Through various nutrition education programs, Dairy Council of California promotes healthy choices from all the food groups and regular physical activity as the foundation for optimal health. Healthy Eating Made Easier.(R)

SOURCE Dairy Council of California