Healthy Eating starts at home. Children learn what to eat and how to eat from their parents. It is up to you to set a good example for your child and encourage healthy eating for the entire family at home. Let’s look at a few things you can do to make healthy eating an integral part of your family life.
Eat Breakfast
Make it a habit to eat breakfast in the morning – yes you too. It’s important for everyone in the family to start the day with some healthy food. After 8 plus hours since the last meal, our bodies need fuel to function properly. Good fast breakfast choices are whole-wheat cereal with milk, toasted bagel with peanut butter, or a breakfast smoothie.
Keep Healthy Snacks Handy
Growing kids are always hungry and need to snack throughout the day. Make sure you have some healthy snacks ready to get the whole family eating healthy in-between meals.
Stock up on some fresh fruit; keep a bag of baby carrots in the fridge, along with some low-fat cheese sticks. Yogurt and applesauce are great healthy snacks as well. Ban as much junk food as you can from your house.
Skip the Soda
Keep soda out of your house for the most part. It is full of sugar and often caffeine and provides no nutritional value. Offer some diluted fruit juices or sparkling water instead. Encourage everyone in the family to drink 8 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated.
Plan Dinner Ahead of Time
You will be more likely to eat healthy if you plan your meals ahead of time and have all the ingredients in the fridge and the pantry when you get home. Otherwise you will come home to a hungry family and will end up ordering pizza, taking everyone out for fast food, or fixing a box of macaroni and cheese with a side of hotdogs. After a long day of work, or taking care of the kids, it is hard to dig for a healthy recipe and then run to the store to get what you need. You’ll be much more likely to stick to your healthy eating if you plan ahead.
Start with small changes, one at a time, and before you know it, your family’s eating habits will have become much healthier. By eating healthy you are setting a good example for your children and are helping them create healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.
