Involving the whole family is the best way to promote better eating habits and healthy activities for your children. A whole-family approach simply means that everyone - parents and kids alike - works together as a team to achieve good health and well being. As with any team, there's a leader or coach - and that's you!
Lead by example.
Adult family members are important role models for healthy eating and exercise. Talk about why you eat fruit as a snack, take an exercise class, or go for walks.
I often include my kids in my workouts, especially outside. I run with the baby in the stroller while the other kids are bike riding.
Start 'em young.
Don't wait until your child is at an unhealthy weight to institute good eating and activity habits. It's much easier to maintain a healthy weight than to lose pounds later.
I taught my kids about the healthy food groups and what is healthy and what is not. They know that too much sugar makes them sick and cranky and fruit and veggies give them good energy. Even at 3 and 5, I am confident that my kids can make healthier choices even when I am not around. Really, they do!
Be active together.
Make it usual for the family to be active, not sedentary. Being active as a family allows kids to expend energy in a positive way, and adults reap the health benefits, too.
We play a lot of outside sports and games such as red light, green light, tag and other things to get the kids to run around. Now that it is getting colder, we are going to do more indoor activities and classes.
Cook together.
It may be impractical to do it every day, but invite kids into the process of preparing food. Little kids can learn math skills by measuring and they'll begin to understand the chemistry of cooking. They'll also gain an understanding of healthy ingredients. Older kids will enjoy having the authority to select and prepare foods they like and will be more likely to eat what they've made. It may even inspire them to make healthy choices on their own.
My kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to help me in the kitchen! They think it is so fun! I can’t wait until they can cook for me, ha.
Eat together.
Eating a meal as a family sends the right messages about nutrition. Kids will see their parents eating healthy food and may be inspired to try new foods. They will also come to see mealtime as a time for socializing and sharing. Parents get a chance to offer nutritious food, note their child's likes and dislikes, and tune in to their child's triumphs and troubles through conversation.
We eat our meals as a family everyday and sometimes that is my favorite time of my day!
Supplement.
If you’re like nine out of 10 Americans, you don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, which can really affect your health down the line. That’s a great reason to supplement what you eat. But the important question is, how do you feel today? Your answer should be nothing short of fantastic.
We have been supplementing with Shaklee’s supplements for over 11 years and LOVE them!
Bonnie :)
