Healthy Eating - Family Style
Healthy eating starts with something very simple - eating together as a family. For adults and children, sitting down and eating with others is good for both one's physical and mental health. Adults and children who eat breakfast daily, follow a regular routine for eating, and sit down for meals and snacks benefit in many ways, including maintaining a healthy weight. If there was something you could do to have your kids eat better, feel better about themselves, do better in school, lessen their chances of becoming overweight and reduce their interest in drugs and alcohol, would you do it?
Research has shown that raising a healthy family starts with scheduling at least one meal together as a family, most days of the week. The meal could be breakfast, lunch or dinner, and does not have to include everyone in the family space - just those at home.
Healthy eating requires planning and establishing routines:
- Plan ahead fro time to shop, for time to prepare meals, and time to eat. Plan small snacks so that you and your family will be hungry for meals.
- Include 4 or 5 food items at a meal and include the following types of food: fruits; vegetables; whole grains; fat-free or low fat milk and milk products like yogurt and cottage cheese; lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
- Turn the television off when eating. Both adults and children eat more than they are hungry for when they are distracted by the television.
- Serve the same foods to all family members. Don't fall into the trap of short-order cooking for children.
- Don't graze.
Active Living
Regular physical activity helps improve health and fitness. People are different in the amount of physical activity they need, but can keep the same weight by doing 2.5-5 hours of weekly moderate-intensity activities (e.g. fast walking).
People who want to lose a large amount of weight, and people who want to keep off the weight that they’ve lost, may need to be physically active for over 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activities each week.
Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes (one hour) or more of physical activity each day. Health experts also suggest that parents set rules that limit the time that children and adolescents spend in front of a screen (computer, TV, and video games) to two hours or less per day (unless it's for homework or work).