Kids Eat Right Month™ focuses on the importance of healthful eating and active lifestyles for children and families, aimed at helping families achieve the Kids Eat Right core principles: “shop smart, cook healthy and eat right” as well as get moving. All these principles can help form and maintain healthy habits. Below are some steps you can take today with your kids to help them on a path to a healthy life.
Shop Smart
I’m not suggesting letting your kids eat the food before it is purchased! We stopped him before he got a bite. 🙂
I know this may sound like torture to some people, but take your kids with you to the grocery store! Let them pick out the different foods that will eventually end up in your meals and snacks at home. Try giving them a few options of healthy items to choose from. If they help pick it out, they are more likely to eat it!
Cook Healthy
Helping make pancakes and caught red-handed! Don’t worry – he was supervised the whole time and taught explicitly to not touch the cooking surface.
Not only is it important for you to cook healthy for your kids, but it’s important for your kids to get involved with the healthy cooking! Let your children help out with the cutting (when age appropriate), mixing and preparation of meals. This will not only help their cooking skills (so they won’t be condemned to eating ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese during college), but may even increase their likelihood to try healthier items during meal time. Just like the shopping, if they help out in the kitchen they are more likely to eat it.
Eat Right
We’re not only talking about what you eat, but with whom and the atmosphere in which you eat. Sitting together at the dinner table as a family is one of the most important things you can do for your kids all day. Sharing a meal together as a family provides the opportunity to enjoy each others company and share the day’s experiences with one another. Studies have shown that families who eat together have more positive family interactions and bonds, and children have more self-confidence and have higher academic achievement.
Get Moving
Ice skating as a family – try out new ways to be active together!
Not only will regular physical activity strengthen muscle and bones and promote a healthy body weight in your kids, it can help support learning, develop social skills and build self-esteem. Kids are encouraged to be active for 60 minutes per day. Get involved in physical activity with your kids. Play active games together or go to the park with them. Being active as a family is a great way to spend time together.
August is Kids Eat Right Month™. Here's some tips to help your kids form healthy habits. #kidseatright Share on X
Healthy Habits
I once heard that kids are like play dough. When they are young, they are impressionable and able to be molded in so many different ways. Your kids look up to you and will follow your example. It’s never too early or too late to start being a good role model for your kids on healthy eating habits. One simple way is to follow the principles of MyPlate. With every meal fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, make at least half the grains your family eats whole grains and choose lower-sodium options (click here for salt substitutes). For drinks, rather than sugar-sweetened beverages choose water, and opt for fat-free or low-fat milk.
For more healthful eating tips, recipes, videos and to learn more about Kids Eat Right Month, visit www.KidsEatRight.org.
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