8 Simple Tips for a Healthier Family- National Nutrition Month 2019

In honor of National Nutrition Month® 2019, we’re going back to our roots which is increasing the public’s awareness of the importance of good nutrition!

I can’t believe that it’s already National Nutrition Month®!! Woohoo!!! If you can’t tell by now, I’m extremely excited! You may be wondering, “What is National Nutrition Month®?” Well, here’s a brief explanation brought to you by www.eatright.org:

National Nutrition Month® is an annual nutrition education campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This campaign is celebrated each year during the month of March and focuses on the importance of making informed food choices, and developing sound eating & physical activity habits. In addition, National Nutrition Month® promotes the Academy and its members to the public and the media as the most valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically-based food and nutrition information.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and proud member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, I’m super excited to share my expertise and help you tackle one of life’s biggest challenges, which is getting your entire family to eat healthier and increasing their physical activity! I’ve come up with 8 simple tips for a healthier family!

1). Increase your water intake by adding fresh fruit & herbs.

If your family is anything like mine, then you’re probably aware of the water vs. juice war! Lo! Don’t get me wrong, I love a nice cold glass of juice just like anyone else, but my family likes to go overboard! If allowed, they will drink an entire gallon of juice in one day! As a healthier alternative, I’ve encouraged them to add fresh fruit and herbs to their water. It gives it just the right amount of sweetness and tons of flavor!

2.) Change your dining location.

For some reason, broccoli seems to taste better when we’re eating it in the park verses the dinner table! Lol! I don’t know what it is, but my kids seem to eat better when we’re eating dinner in a new location. I try to make it a habit of having dinner picnics, or eating on the patio, or enjoying snack time on the front porch! I also take advantage of this and serve more fruits and veggies! They are so distracted by the new scenery that they don’t even realize they’ve just finished a plate of carrots! ?

3.) Go on a “bear hunt” or nature walk after dinner.

Since we live near a lake, we like to go on a walk after dinner. I like to make it fun by playing, “I Spy,” or pretending that we’re searching for bears! The kids get a real kick out of it and my husband and I enjoy seeing them have a good time. It’s also a great way to disconnect from everything else and enjoy some quality, family time!

5.) Keep nutritious snack options available.

I like to keep a plentiful stash of nutritious snacks such as, celery sticks, nuts, yogurt, and grapes on hand. I usually keep these snacks on a lower shelf in the refrigerator or on the counter for easy access. This helps to prevent the famous question, “Mom, what’s for snack??”

4.) Let your kids to help with dinner.

Allowing my kids to help with dinner makes them appreciate the time it takes to make a complete meal. Whenever, the kids help me in the kitchen, I like to take the opportunity to teach them about nutritious foods and how those foods benefit our bodies! It’s like a mini nutrition/cooking class, and they really take pride in their creations!

6.) Add veggies to popular recipes.

Pizza night is a big hit in our home! We like to make it from scratch and we add tons of veggies! Because it’s pizza, the kids are so excited that they don’t realize their eating butternut squash or kale! I like to do the same with spaghetti and toss in a few carrots, mushrooms, and squash!

7.) Have a dance party.

This might sound a little silly….but almost every night, before bedtime, I turn on a few of my kids’ favorite songs and we have a dance party! We try to do the latest dances and see who can sing the loudest! Lol! It’s such a great way to increase physical activity and it makes the kids extra tired before bed! #winwin

8.) Discuss food in a positive way.

This is, by-far, the most important tip of all! With so much inaccurate nutrition information available at our fingertips, it’s very important to equip your kids with the right information. Whenever we discuss food and mealtimes, I never categorize food as good or bad. Instead, I talk about how to enjoy food in a healthful way. We discuss how some foods contain tons of nutrients, which benefits our bodies and we also talk about moderation. One of our favorite phrases, when it comes to mealtimes, is to “Eat the Rainbow!” And NO we aren’t talking about Skittles lol….we’re referring to the beautiful rainbow of fruits and veggies. 🙂

I hope that you found these 8 simple tips helpful and inspiring! Cheers to a healthier family!!

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