Kids learn healthy (or unhealthy) habits from their parents. Try these tips to lead the way:
Make family exercise a regular event. Set a good example by being active together. Just 20 to 30 minutes a day on most days of the week can make all the difference. Good family-fun options include playing ball or frisbee, cycling, and rollerblading.
Focus special events on physical activity too. Plan vacations and parties with opportunities to swim, ski, take walking tours, or rock-climb.
Limit their screen time. Many pediatricians recommend a two-hour daily maximum for TV, computer and video games. More screen time has been linked to less activity.
Make mealtime a family event. It’s not always possible given the demands of daily life; but even if it’s just one day a week, have a nutritious sit-down meal together.
Cook with your kids. Research has linked eating out to being overweight.
Avoid keeping sugar-filled snacks around the house. If you buy them, you’ll eat them.
Skip sugar-filled beverages too. Researchers found that kids and teens can cut 235 excess calories a day just by choosing water instead of sugar-sweetened drinks.
Stock healthy snacks instead, including less-messy fruits (bananas, apples, grapes) and vegetables (baby carrots), as well as whole grains (whole-grain crackers, tortilla chips) and protein (nuts, cheese, hummus).
Read the labels when shopping. Avoid foods with too much sodium or any hydrogenated oils. And don’t ignore the "Serving Size"; many product labels have unrealistically small serving sizes, making them seem lower in calories than they are.