Top three ways to focus on your child’s health

by  Tara Sallee, MS, RD, LD, Hy-Vee Corporate Dietitian
 

     August is National Kids Eat Right month, which makes it a great time of the year to put a little extra focus on your child’s health and wellness. In addition, the kids will be heading back to school soon. This can make it even more important to start building healthy habits now, before other activities start to take over the family schedule.
     The things we learn and habits we develop as children can often stay with us into adulthood. Focusing on your child’s health and wellness now can have a positive impact, not just on their childhood, but also on their future adult selves. There are simple things that you can do to make positive changes within your family life.
     Here are three tips to help you focus on your child’s health:
 
     Family meal planning/prepping: Include the kids when you are planning and prepping weekly meals. Have them pick out produce items to include with lunch or dinner. Give them simple tasks in the kitchen based on their age and abilities. This will help your kids get more comfortable handling food.
     Hy-Vee also offers kids’ cooking classes each month called Little Chefs and Junior Chefs. This can be a great way to help your child feel more comfortable getting involved in the kitchen.
     Encourage physical activity: Regular physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.
     Placing limits on screen-time and encouraging activities outside of the house can help create healthy movement habits. Focus on suggesting fun and interesting activities; exercise does not have to be boring. Plan a family activity once a week to help strengthen relationships and get everyone moving.
     Join the Hy-Vee KidsFit program to get fun products and activity ideas for your little ones at home. You can also get access to online interactive workouts that the whole family can do together.
     Be the example: Whether your children admit it or not, they take notice of your own habits and choices. You don’t have to be perfect, but by actively making healthy choices from day-to-day, you can set a good example for your children. This can also make them more receptive to healthy suggestions from you.
     No person or family is perfect. But by putting a little extra focus on the health and wellness of your children, you can improve their quality of life. You may even notice positive changes in yourself as well.
     If you have more questions regarding your or your family’s personal health and nutrition needs, contact your local Hy-Vee dietitian. You can find out more about the nutrition services available at www.hy-vee.com/health.
    *The information in this article is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.