It’s never too early to teach kids healthy habits. What they learn in their youth about nutrition, exercise and communication will help guide them throughout their lives. With four easy steps, you can play an important role in shaping healthy hearts and healthy minds.
1. Eat healthy meals, including five servings of fruits and veggies every day
- Read the labels on food, including labels on soda, juice and fruit-based products that have a lot of sugar.
- Involve your child in shopping and meal planning. Children may want to eat healthier meals if they help make them.
- Encourage your child to try new, healthy foods. Try one new healthy recipe or food each week.
- Avoid using food as a reward or punishment.
- Remember your portion sizes: 3 ounces of meat is the size of a deck of playing cards, a 4-ounce bagel is the size of a hockey puck, one cup of pasta is the size of a tennis ball, and 1 ounce of cheese is the size of four dice.
- Put food on small plates, like salad plates, instead of large dinner plates.
- Eat meals at home and try to eat meals with the whole family each day.
2. Limit screen time to two hours or less per day
- Encourage your child to be active before letting him or her watch TV, play video games or use a computer.
- Limit the time your child sits at the computer, plays video games and watches movies
- Limit the amount of time your child can watch TV (for example, if your child gets five hours of screen time a day, limit screen time to four hours initially and gradually decrease screen time to two or less hours per day).
- Avoid putting a TV in your child’s bedroom.
- Have “family time” after dinner and play games, tell stories or do other fun things.
- Avoid eating food in front of the TV.
3. Get at least one hour of physical activity each day
- Walk 10 minutes with your child every day to make sure your family is getting enough exercise.
- Have a family contest to see who is the most active ever day.
- Tell your child to play basketball, soccer or their favorite outdoor game with other children.
- Do jumping jacks or other quick activities while watching commercials with your kid.
- Go fly a kite with your kids.
- Have your kids play active games like jumping rope to music or hula hooping.
- Take your kids for a bike ride around the neighborhood.
- Wash the car with your kids.
- When you are at the mall, have your kids walk with you.
- Play inside with your child by dancing around the living room to fun music.
- Play tag with your kids.
- Have your children walk or bike to school.
4. Don’t consume sweetened drinks
- Drink water or low-fat/nonfat milk instead of sweetened drinks like juice, sweet tea, sports drinks or soft drinks.
- Read the labels on soda, juice and fruit-based drinks to avoid those that have high sugar content.
- Tell everyone in your family to avoid drinks that have sugar.
Healthy habits can last a lifetime. Follow these tips and you’re off to a great start!