Thursday, April 7, 2011

How Do You Keep Your Family Healthy?


As the driving force behind our households, we have lots of responsibilities, including the fact that we are responsible for our family's health!! We pick the recipes, go to the grocery store, give our kids snacks, and choose what activities we will do together. They watch us eat, we take them to restaurants (fast food), and we basically teach them eating habits that they will keep for the rest of their life. Habits that will be pretty hard to break once they are established. Ok, that's it. I'm done. I feel convicted already!!
These facts alone make me want to change the habits that I have - for the sake of my family. I want to teach my kids good eating habits, and how to make good choices when they have them. It's daunting to think that they are learning at this very young age how to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat. If McDonald's is a habit now, then guess what they will do when they are older. If eating lots of food right before bed is a habit, then they will likely continue that into adulthood. Now, I'm not an expert on the subject, but I'm just guessing that the habits they form now will continue as they get older.
So, let's make a change!! Let's try something new this week! We don't have to get all crazy and throw food out and ban ourselves from McDonald's. But what we can do is make little changes and make it a priority to teach our kids about general health. So here are some tips:
  1. Get out for daily exercise. Make it fun!!
  2. Walk, ride bikes, or ride scooters to the local park.
  3. Buy healthy snacks/make fruit/vegetables a snack, and make it fun!!
  4. Plan ahead for busy nights so that fast food doesn't just "end up" happening.
  5. Buy lots of fruit/vegetables and make each meal a balanced meal.
  6. Try different fruit/vegetables. Don't give up just because they don't like 1, 2, or 3 vegetables you serve. Keep serving them!! Maddy just recently decided she likes salad and now she requests it all the time!!
  7. Don't assume that your kids won't like veggies and not serve them. Sometimes their tastes will surprise you!! Right now, Judah loves bell peppers cut up with ranch/honey mustard on them. He eats them with a fork!!
  8. Make exercising a family affair!! Go for family walks, hold friendly competitions (for jumping on the trampoline, races, jump rope, bike riding, etc.), go to the Y together and swim, sign up for a family run/walk, or run laps in the backyard!!
  9. Find healthy versions of the recipes you love!! Substitute with fat-free and light options, add more veggies to pastas and casseroles, and choose leaner proteins.
  10. Help your child learn to stop eating when their "tummy is full." If they are truly full, they shouldn't have to clean their plate. If they are "full" when they have eaten all their mac 'n cheese but still have their veggies/fruit left, that's a different story!
These are just a few ideas to help get you started!! It's a great new adventure to try that can continue on week after week as we incorporate more ideas into our routines! I am getting more and more passionate about not only losing weight and getting healthier myself, but in helping my family to get healthier too! I want to start my kids off right and to help form their eating/exercising habits while they are young so that when they are older they won't have to kick bad habits!

How Do You Keep Your Family Healthy?


Head on over to aliciashomemaking.com to check out more new things you can try with your family!!

9 comments:

  1. These are great ideas! I especially like the ones about family activity and providing veggies even if kids dont like them.

    I came over from Alicia's Homemaking. I love your background and border!

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  2. This is so true! Growing up, we never had soda in the house, and as a result, I never buy it, either!

    I have also been surprised at all the veggies that my son likes...mashed carrots, steamed squash, cooked spinach, steamed broccoli...the list goes on! Seeing my son eat his veggies happily makes my heart happy. :)

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  3. Katie,
    So glad you visited! I think it's just important to try different things and see what works for your family, and then incorporate what you can!! If we can just be aware, it will make all the difference!!

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  4. Alicia,
    Thanks for hosting Try New Adventures!! It's fun keeping up with your other blog posts too!! That's good to know that you can form good habits built on your childhood!!

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  5. I love these tips! Your ideas for healthy parenting are very similar to how we've always grown up; eating healthy and being plenty active throughout the day...and having FUN! I love that you guys went on a race together (or it looks like it anyway!) that is just about the CUTEST thing ever!!

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  6. These are great! Yes, kids will surprise you with what they will eat if you just put it in front of them. My two girls love salads, esp when tomatoes are involved. And they like artichokes! Who knew? =p

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  7. Great ideas indeed! We try to do as much family activity as our schedule will allow. Also, as a mom, I find it really important that my girls see me working out (or at least know that I am working out). In fact, the other day, my 3 yo started doin sit ups randomly because she was "working out". ;)

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  8. I've started giving my kids Kefir. :) Probiotics too if I think they need them.

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  9. Nicely said...we are the greatest influence in the future health of our kids. When we complain about how our kids eat we should look at ourselves...we bring it home and we take them out to eat. When we complain about how active or inactive our kids are we alone are responsible...when we give in to letting them watch TV or play their games...or send them outside to play.

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