10 Tips: Healthy Eating for Life

Get your eating habits on track for life with these 10 tips:

1. Plan Your Meals – Save time and money by planning your weekly meals in advance. Involve your children in the planning too! They will be excited to eat meals they helped plan and even cooked (with supervision)!
2. Grocery Shop Together – Promote family togetherness by including your school age children when you head to the grocery store. Check out my friend Maureen Welsh, Founder of KC Strategic Shopping blog on how to shop smart and save big.
3. Quick and Easy Meals – Don’t stress about having to cook every night. A quick and healthy meal to pull together is a leafy greens salad. Add sliced turkey and hard boiled eggs for protein, couple of colorful vegetables like red peppers, green onions and top with feta cheese and pumpkin seeds.
4. Quality Not Quantity – Eating too fast or when your attention is elsewhere may lead to eating too much. So pay attention to hunger and fullness cues before, during and after meals. This will help children recognize when to eat and when they’ve had enough.
5. Drink Water – Avoid the sugary drinks like juice and soda at meal time. Just drink water to keep your body hydrated!
6. Eat Colors of the Rainbow – Fill half your plate with healthy brightly colored antioxidant rich foods every day. Eating from the full color spectrum helps to ensure proper nutrition and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
7. Re-size Portions – Serve balanced healthy meals with smaller portions. Click here for the Portion Size Plate guide from WebMD.com then click on a food category for easy serving size guidelines.
8. Eat Together – Look at your schedule each week to see when you can sit down as a family for dinner. Children who eat with their family three or more times a week do better in school.
9. Unplug at Meal Time – Everyone needs some time to unwind from technology and interact with others socially. So unplug from cell phones, tablets, laptops and DVR those must watch TV shows for later.
10. Relax and Chat – Sit back, take your time eating and enjoy spending time with your family. Allow everyone to talk about a positive experience they encountered that day. Encourage the younger children to share something new they learned.

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Cheers to a Healthy Day!