December Healthy Families
Are you a kid trying to help your family be healthy? Or a parent trying to get your kids to lead healthy lifestyles? Remember that it takes the whole family to work together to maintain a healthy lifestyle. And the sooner you and your family adapt healthful habits, the more likely you will all maintain those habits and lead healthy lives!
What does it mean to be healthy?
Healthy means that you keep a balanced lifestyle of all of the following things:
- eating healthful foods- like fruits and vegetables
- drinking lots of water
- exercising often
- getting enough sleep
Healthy Eating
In order for kids to grow up to be healthy and strong, they should make sure they eat nutritious foods. Eating healthful foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains will help kids to get the vitamins and nutrients their body needs to be healthy. Eating too much unhealthful foods, such as cake, cookies and chips, and drinking too much soda, can cause kids to not keep their bodies healthy and maybe become overweight.
Instead, try these four tips that can guide you to healthy eating!
1. Eat a variety of foods. It’s okay to have a favorite food, but make sure not to eat it everyday. It is best to eat a variety. If you eat different foods, you're more likely to get the nutrients your body needs. Try to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day — two fruits and three vegetables, for they help to give your body important nutrients it needs.
2. Drink water. When you're really thirsty, cold water is what your body needs to quench your thirst. Drinking milk can also help your body to stay healthy because it provides calcium, which is what your body needs to grow strong bones. Try to limit sugary drinks like soda and fruit juices, because they are filled with sugar. Instead, drink 100% fruit juice- it will give your body more nutrients.
3. Listen to your body. When you're eating, notice how your body feels. What does it feel like to be full? Sometimes, people eat too much because they don't notice when they need to stop eating. If you eat too fast your brain does not understand how full you are until at least 15 minutes later. You’re your food slowly and enjoy it! Eating too over a period of time can lead to unhealthy weight gain.
4. Eat breakfast! What your parents and teachers say is true, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It helps your body to wake up and have energy. Also, studies show that kids who eat breakfast every morning are more likely to do better in school and be involved in physical activities. Need some ideas on how to make some easy, healthy breakfasts? Try these recipes!
- French toast (egg whites, whole wheat bread) topped with fruit
- Hearty oatmeal with fun toppings (raisins, cranberries, frozen blueberries, cinnamon, nuts)
- Whole wheat pancakes topped with fresh fruit (or frozen fruit thawed overnight)
Healthy Diet
Don’t let the phrase “going on a diet” fool you- a diet simply consists of what you eat on a daily basis. However, making your diet full of healthful foods and smaller portions will help you from gaining excess weight and will help keep your heart and body healthy.
If you are thinking of changing your family’s diet to make it more healthy, keep in mind that it will take patience and persistence and should happen gradually. Once you have decided to change things for the better, make sure that you stick to it and don't hesitate.
You will first have to explain to the family that the change will benefit everyone. It is healthier to eat vegetables, fruits, low sugar food and non-processed foods. It can be a struggle to make these changes, as you will get constant impulses to go back to your old habits. You will have to keep an eye on your children, support them through their ups and downs, set limits, and offer praises and encouragement.
Here are five strategies to improve nutrition and encourage smart eating habits:
1. Have regular family meals.
2. Serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks.
3. Be a role model by eating healthy yourself.
4. Avoid battles over food.
5. Involve kids in the process.
Family Meals
Family meals are a comforting ritual for both parents and kids. Children like the predictability of family meals and parents get a chance to catch up with their kids. Also, kids who take part in regular family meals are:
- more likely to eat fruits, vegetables, and grains
- less likely to snack on unhealthy foods
- less likely to smoke, use marijuana, or drink alcohol
- Allow your teen to invite a friend to dinner.
- Involve your teen in meal planning and preparation.
- Keep mealtime calm and informal— no lectures or arguing.
Remember- any time you and your family eat together, whether it's takeout food or a home-cooked meal, counts as a family dinner. Strive for nutritious food and find a time when everyone can be there. This may mean eating dinner a little later to accommodate a child who's at sports practice or a parent who has to work late. It can also mean setting aside time on the weekends, such as Sunday brunch, when it may be more convenient to gather the family.
When kids are ready to snack, they’ll eat whatever is available and convenient at home. That's why it's important to control what you keep in the kitchen. Follow these basic guidelines:
- Work fruits and vegetables into the daily routine, aiming for the goal of at least five servings a day. Be sure you serve fruit or vegetables at every meal.
- Make it easy for your child to choose healthy snacks by keeping fruits and vegetables on hand and ready to eat. Other good snacks include low-fat yogurt, peanut butter and celery, or whole-grain crackers and cheese.
- Serve lean meats and other good sources of protein, such as fish, eggs, beans, and nuts.
- Choose whole-grain breads and cereals so kids get more fiber.
- Limit fat intake by avoiding deep-fried foods and choosing healthier cooking methods, such as broiling, grilling, roasting, and steaming. Choose low-fat or nonfat dairy products.
- Limit fast food and other low-nutrient snacks, such as chips and candy. But don't completely ban favorite snacks from your home, it may make them indulge in those foods even more. Instead, make them "once-in-a-while" foods, so kids don't feel deprived.
- Limit sugary drinks, such as soda and fruit-flavored drinks. Serve water and low-fat milk instead.
No “food fighting”
It's easy for food to become a source of conflict. Parents might find themselves bargaining or bribing kids so they eat the healthy food in front of them. Although those parents have good intentions, a better strategy is to give kids some control, but to also limit the kind of foods available at home.
Kids should decide if they're hungry, what they will eat from the foods served, and when they're full. Parents should control which foods are available to the child, both at mealtime and between meals. Here are some guidelines to follow:
- Establish a predictable schedule of meals and snacks. Let your kids know when to expect the next meal or snack.
- Don't force kids to clean their plates. Doing so teaches kids to override feelings of fullness.
- Don't bribe or reward kids with food. Avoid using dessert as the prize for eating the meal.
- Don't use food as a way of showing love. When you want to show love, give kids a hug or spend time with them.
Most kids will enjoy deciding what to make for dinner. Talk to them about making choices and planning a balanced meal. Some might even want to help shop for ingredients and prepare the meal. At the store, teach your kids how to check out food labels to begin understanding what to look for. :School lunches can be another learning lesson for kids. Brainstorm about what kinds of foods they'd like for lunch or go to the grocery store to shop together for healthy foods that fit in their lunch boxes. Most importantly, preparing kids to make good decisions on their own about the foods they want to eat can help them to lead a lifetime of healthier choices.
Be a role model for your kids
The best way for you to encourage healthy eating in your family is to eat well yourself. By eating fruits and vegetables, eating fatty foods sparingly, and eating small portion sizes will help you to send the right message to your children.
Talk about how full you’re feeling to your children. You might say, "This is delicious food, but I'm full, so I'm going to stop eating." Parents who are always dieting or complaining about their bodies may foster the same negative feelings in their kids. Try to keep a positive approach when talking about, eating, or making food.
When you go shopping avoid junk food aisles that have food like cookies, crackers and candy. Make sure that you only go into the aisles that have fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy and whole grain breads. When you put something into your shopping cart consider whether it is a healthy option. Does the item have any vitamins, minerals, protein or fiber? If not, leave that item in the store.
Try to also cut up fruits and vegetables and put them on a shelf in your refrigerator, this is so it is the first thing your kids see when they are hunting for a snack. Try to give your kids a snack plate for when they are watching television, playing games or doing homework. Include things like carrots, cucumber, baby tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and celery with low fat peanut butter or cream cheese. You can also add some cheese and fruits as well.
Healthy Holiday Meals
During the holidays it’s easy to forget about all the positive changes your family has made to improve your health. Holiday meals are a great way to spend time together, but it can be hard to make your recipes healthy and low fat. Here are some simple substitutions to reduce the total amount of fat in a recipe:
Sour Cream Substitutes
- plain low-fat yogurt
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese blended with 1-1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- fat-free sour cream
Whipped Cream Substitutes
- chilled, whipped evaporated skim milk
- nondairy whipped topping made from polyunsaturated fat
Cream Substitutes
- use evaporated skim milk
- when the recipe calls for Whole milk use Skim, 1-percent or 2-percent milk
Ground beef substitutes
- extra lean ground beef
- lean chicken and ground turkey
Bacon substitutes
- Canadian bacon
- lean ham
Sausage substitutes
- lean ground turkey
- 95% fat free sausage
Whole Egg Substitutes
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup cholesterol-free liquid egg product
- 1 tablespoon of flour (when egg is being used as thickener)
Don’t forget the fruits and veggies
In any meal you make, adding fruits and vegetables not only will give you the vitamins you and your family needs, but it can complement the taste of the main dish. Greens are a great source of Vitamin A, which is important for our sight, growth, fighting off infection and keeping eyes, skin and mucous membranes moist. Greens can be festive and healthy salad base topped off with other fun, bright and tasty veggies. Try adding spinach, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, spinach lettuce, or peas. Additional great choices for Vitamin A include carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash, cantaloupe, broccoli, and nectarines.
Need Healthy Meal Ideas?
1. Roast chicken breast in the oven with sweet potatoes cut into chunks, slices of garlic and onions
2. Stuff left over turkey or ham into whole wheat pita pockets. Add your favorite left over veggies.
3. Choose whole-grain breads and pastas. Try a pizza made with a whole-wheat crust.
Exercise
With the nationwide obesity epidemic on the rise, it is more important than ever for parents to get involved and make exercise and fitness an essential part of their family’s life.
1. Walk together. Pencil it into everyone’s busy schedules- Every day/night, or even once or twice a week. 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. If possible, walk your child to or from school or the bus stop. It’s a great time for exercise and connecting with your child.
3. Play with your child, at the playground or in the backyard, throw and catch, tag, or hopscotch.
4. Go for a bike ride together
5. Build a sand castle or a mud pie. Both are great for sensory integration, and relaxation.
6. Take the stairs whenever possible.
7. Let your children see you exercising.
8. Play basketball, soccer – any sport!
9. Walk the dog together.
10. Stretch. Put on some soft or playful music, and touch your toes, stretch your legs, sit and stretch your spine.
11. Go swimming together, in an outdoor or indoor pool.
12. Wintertime: Build a snowman, have a snowball fight, go sledding.
13. Rake leaves and jump in the piles.
14. Make chores fun and active:
- When washing or putting away the dishes, create an assembly line, turn off the TV and put on the stereo.
- For folding laundry, turn off the TV and crank the music. Make it a fun, family time.
- Have everyone sweep or vacuum the house.
16. Dance – get the whole family moving.
17. Go rollerblading. (Don’t forget the safety equipment)
18. Have a jump rope competition.
19. Make a movie. Give your kids the camera, you can be the director, and make up a story or music video – with lots of action.
20. Hold a silly joke telling session. Laughing really hard builds stomach muscles!
21. Give the kids a disposable camera and see how many different types of creatures they can photograph, outside.
22. Create a family scavenger hunt.
23. Take a family trip to the gym.
24. Go to places that require a lot of walking- the zoo, amusement park or mall.
25. Make exercise a game (who can touch their toes 10 times)?
Kids who participate in regular fitness activities acquire the skills, confidence and positive self-image needed to become healthy young adults. Structured activities help kids gain strength, balance, coordination, fine and gross motor proficiency, agility, flexibility and social skills. Children enjoy getting to know and control their own bodies. The thrill of accomplishment from achieving a physical task builds the self-esteem that carries over into all aspects of a child's life.
Family time
Healthy, happy families begin with a commitment to strengthen and build the foundation of each relationship. If you are single parents, make sure there are positive role models in your child’s life. As young parents who are raising infants or toddlers, work on building the child’s self-esteem, confidence and independence.
Here are five steps to take toward leading healthy family lifestyles:
Step 1
Maintain a strong relationship with your partner. If you are married, you can build your partner’s self-esteem by recognizing any weaknesses or strengths and letting your spouse know how much they are needed. Compliment them at least once a week or more to inspire them to be all they can be.
Step 2
Expose your children to positive resources. Within your community is a wealth of history and information. Arrange to take your children to local museums, plays, gyms, concerts and other cultural events. By going to inspiring places, you increase your child’s social perspective and their personal knowledge of life.
Step 3
Create healthy habits. Healthy eating habits insure healthy minds and bodies, so it is important to provide nutritional meals to your family everyday. Drink 8 glasses of water each day to keep yourself hydrated and your external system running smoothly. Be sure to exercise frequently to maintain a healthy body weight and sustain a high level of energy.
Step 4
Communicate! If there is a problem that needs to be addressed, keep the lines of communication open. Allow your children and spouse to talk to you openly about issues they may feel hesitant to discuss. Be an open vessel to your family, willing to listen first, and then respond with an understanding attitude.
Step 5
Pamper yourself! Take time for yourself. Whether it’s to shop, read a book, do a puzzle, or spend a day at the park, you deserve to relax and enjoy life.
Exercise
Being active and exercising at least three times a week can help your body gain endurance and muscle and makes your heart healthy. If you stay active, you can be a role model to your family and show them how you are taking steps towards a healthy lifestyle. There are so many fun activities you and your whole family can do together, including:
A family football game- Instead of sitting inside and watching the game, have your own football game with your family! Playing the game is a lot more fun than just watching, so take the family outside to the back yard or park. You can even include other families and friends to play. Have fun with team spirit and select a team color for each team to dress in. Not only will you be having fun and bonding with your family, but you’ll be keeping your body active by working your heart, lungs, and leg and arm muscles. Remember to stretch your muscles before you play to prevent injuries.
Family game night- Instead of playing board games like Monopoly or Clue, try a more interactive game like Twister or Charades! Those activities can get you moving and can include the whole family.
Enjoy the extreme weather together! Raking leaves or playing in the snow can be something the whole family can do together, and it also helps to get chores done!
Take a family walk- ask your family members to take a walk together after dinner time to reflect on your days and talk about what happened in school or at work.
Shoot some hoops together
Take a family bike ride
Go to the park
Make up a dance routine with your friends or siblings and show your parents. Then, try and teach them!
Help your family with the chores- Try these active chore ideas:
- make your bed
- vacuum your room, the family room, or even every room in the house!
- wash the dishes after meals
- mow the lawn
- do laundry
- wash the windows
- Carry in the groceries- it works your muscles and pleases your parents!
Family time
In addition to staying active with fun exercises, there are many ways you and your family can spend time together.
- Have a family slumber party. Find a good night you and your family could have a pretend “slumber party”. Mark it on the calendar and create your personal party invitation. Think of some fun and active games for the family to play that evening and morning.
- Cook together- Make a meal together or a light healthy snack such as pretzels, popcorn, baked pita chips and hummus, low-fat frozen yogurt fruit parfaits
- Watch old family videos or look at old photo albums
- Family game night- play cards, Monopoly, Scrabble, etc.
- Do arts and crafts such as painting or drawing pictures of each other
During the holidays…
The holidays are a great time to spend with your family. You’re off from school and your parents get a couple days off from work. Take the opportunity in the spare time you have to spend time with your family. Here are some ideas of things you can do together to celebrate the holidays:
- Involve everyone in the big traditional meal preparations
- Decorate the house together with holiday decorations
- Create new traditions with your family to do every year together- you can watch a favorite holiday movie, go to a special restaurant, or bake a delicious holiday treat.
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