Changing our kids eating and exercise habits isn’t easy, but very necessary to improve their quality of life. Becoming healthier as a family can save money and time in trips to doctors and prescription medicines. Minor changes can make a huge impact! Here is a list of 25 small things you can do to improve your childrens health and your own.
1. Take a walk as a family and make it a daily habit. You’ll all feel better and be on the right track to better health together.
2. Have mini races against each other in the driveway.
3. Go out back and do easy workouts together either with just bodyweight or toys/play equipment if you don’t have weights.
4. If the TV is a must hook up a Nintendo Wii and get them playing the games that make them active (Wii Fit, Wii Sports Resort, Active, etc.)
5. Get them involved in sports or other after school activities that keep them moving and off the couch
6. Replace sugary cereals with yogurt and granola
7. Add protein in the form of turkey sausage or eggs with toast or low sugar cereal
8. If cereal is a must mix half of their favorite cereal with half of a sugar free kind of cereal
9. Have them eat a piece of fruit or make them a small fruit smoothie and add protein powder.
10. MAKE THEM ACTUALLY EAT BREAKFAST so they can get their metabolism going in the morning and set the pace for the day!
11. Stop buying pre-packaged snacks and package things yourself!! You’ll put less in a baggie and therefore keep the kids portions more their size.
12. Opt for whole grain crackers like Wheat Thins or Triscuts instead of chips.
13. Instead of cookies or other sweet treats, add a Gogurt…it doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup and has some protein.
14. AN APPLE A DAY DOES KEEP THE DR. AWAY! Full of fiber, antioxidants, and can be a great sweet treat.
15. For a sweet treat, add coca covered almonds…they are low in sugar, high in healthy fats, and have protein in them.
16. Put carbs on their dinner plate last…make them eat their protein and vegetables first.
17. Only let them have seconds of vegetables and then make them wait 30 minutes to see if they are still hungry before offering seconds of other items.
18. When offering seconds, don’t offer seconds of carbs, only protein and veggies
19. Encourage them to drink water with dinner or a non sugary beverage
20. Don’t let them eat so fast that they are done before any of the food reaches their stomachs…teach them to eat slower and allow themselves to fill up as the meal progresses.
21. Dessert is a treat, not something that should happen daily.
22. Juice is full of sugar…if you need juice squeeze it fresh from a fruit and only have a glass. Your body doesn’t need juice, it needs water!
23. Sleep is so important…make sure they are getting enough!
24. Teach them to take their vitamins (and not the gummy ones that are full of sugar)…A REAL vitamin! (see www.symmetrydirect.com/lsurvillas and check out Future Star for a great kids vitamin)
25. Hide veggies in the food you normally make: cauliflower blended into mashed potatoes, broccoli blended into just about anything, even spinach. It’ll get them to eat their veggies without the argument.
Talk to your kids about healthy options…they are listening. If they still argue with you it’s because they don’t like change…we don’t necessarily give in to change easy either. BUT they will start to feel like the changes are normal and then you can start incorporating other changes.
Sorry about the format…couldn’t get it to work right, but really wanted to share the information!