Parent’s University: How We Are Teaching Our Kids to be Healthy

Posted on 03.06.08 in Parenthood Parents University and there are 9 comments.

(This is my entry for this week’s Parent’s University series. Click here to read the other entries.)

Our 2 Step Plan for Healthy Kids

Jimmy and I have two basic rules that I think have helped us have a healthy household.

Rule #1 - If we want our kids to be healthy WE have to be healthy.
The most powerful thing that we can do to impact our children’s healthy lifestyle is to make healthy decisions ourselves. Jimmy and I are very conscious about what we eat and we try to exercise regularly. Our kids see that these things are important to us so....it becomes important to them.

Rule #2 - We don’t have junk food in our house.
We don’t (usually) have chips, cookies, soda or sweets in our house. At home, our snacks are graham crackers, cheese, wheat crackers, yogurt and fruit. I like to think of my house as a refueling station for my family. It’s a place of peace, rest and nourishment. So, I try to have foods that are tasty but also give lots of energy and help them grow.

The other side of this rule is that when we go places we are very free about what we eat. We still try to make healthy choices, but the kids usually get lemonade at restaurants even though we don’t normally drink it at home. We get snacks at ball games and pretzels at the mall. And if we’re at a friends house we can have whatever treats they offer.

I like this rule because it prevents me from saying “No” all the time. I don’t have to say no to junk food at home because the kids don’t ask for it - they know we don’t have it. And we also don’t have to say “No” (as much) when we’re out and about because I know their tummies are already full of good foods so I don’t mind if they have a treat.

All Kids Are Different

Now I know all kids are different, but I really think these rules have helped our kids learn to enjoy healthy foods and to see the importance of making healthy decisions.

The Comments:

Skip to comment form

Good stuff Kat.  I agree that we need to set the example.  And if you are a parent, you are setting the example whether you realize it or not. 

My wife has been a workout queen since before we were married.  And my daughters now workout with mom.  She walks with two of the girls, and does workout videos with the other two.  Even the younger girls get in on the action.

One of our favorite things to eat is a healthy smoothie:

8 ounces OJ
8 ounces cranberry juice
tablespoon flax seed meal
tablespoon liquid minerals
2 tablespoons liquid vitamins
tablespoon lecithin granules

these items get mixed in the blender first, then add:

1 frozen banana
6 frozen strawberries
6 frozen blueberries
2 small pieces of pineapple (don’t overdo it here)

we will occasionally change the stawberries for frozen peaches or other berries.

Its a tasty frozen treat, and extremely healthy.  We make them every day and we all have some.  The kids love them.

I like the point made about being able to say ‘yes’ more when out and about becuase you know the good stuff is at home. We usually get half water/half lemonade at restuarants. But I will feel better about letting things go a little when out.

On a side note- the example thing is HUGE. With all members of the family. We lived with my inlaws for two years and my children think fritos are called Nonnie chips. Nonnie is how we refer to their grandmother. Enough said

Hahaha, “Nonnie chips.”

This is so helpful, even though I don’t have kids yet.  My husband and I are currently trying to be healthier b/c I’m trying to lose 100 pounds so I can be a healthy wife (and mom someday), and if I can make that a lifestyle, I can pass it on to my kids. I like the no junk at home rule especially, and that’s one we’re trying to work on ourselves.

We have a very healthy eater on our hands. He’s 2 1/2 and a self-declared vegetarian. Since we are a meat eating family, we aren’t sure how we created a vegetarian. Heheh. From day one of his solids journey we have down played the bad and offered the good first. Since I never grew up liking veggies, or being offered veggies, I really played those up when I made his baby food. I offered veggies when he was his most hungry. Now he’s actually teaching us to like new things. He’s so willing to eat a healthy food item, that we often try things we never ate before or never liked. This helps him eat better because he enjoys taking an active part in teaching us. We down play the normal main parts of a meal and play up the normal side items (veggies, fruits, grains, etc). We opt for sugar free items and, like you, when we are out we let loose of the rules and allow foods we wouldn’t allow at home. That’s his treat.

We love to sneak veggies into our other meals.  My kids are typically good at eating their veggies (they’re known to down steamed asparagus and even spinach) but sometimes I just hide things in their food.  For example, when I make spaghetti (with whole wheat noodles and organic sauce) I’ll grate zucchini or carrots into it.  You can’t taste it and it adds different nutrients.  I also put spinach into a lot of pasta dishes for a quick punch of vitamins and minerals.  I just put it in at the very end, just long enough to wilt it a little but maintain its nutritional value.

Also, my kids eat dessert every night.  This dessert is yogurt, a piece of fruit, fat free pudding, etc.  They consider this dessert because that is what we call it.  A special treat is a frozen yogurt cup...literally a yogurt cup that I put in the freezer.  They love it!

Kari,
That’s wonderful that you have such a great eater. Not many parents can say their their toddler is teaching THEM to try new foods!

Nikki,
We love yogurt around here, but I’ve never thought of putting it in the freezer. I think my kids would love that. Thanks for the tip!

These are great, Kat. I hope people won’t overlook your Rule #2, because it seems so simple. But it’s absolutely true.

We have some friends with a teenage son that is having (among other things) behavioral problems related to a very bad diet. And no matter how many ways we tried to tell the mom, she just refused to hear us on this. Her approach is “We have to have lots of soda and junk food and snacks in the house, can’t live without those, but we try not to eat them too much.” And then wondering why her husband and son are overweight and lethargic, and none of them can control their eating habits.

The battle is already lost when those foods are allowed into the house. Plus, eating those foods actually increases the cravings for them. They never fill you up or satisfy you—they leave you hungry and craving them even more.

Something I’d add from a practical standpoint is “Don’t grocery shop when hungry”. Sounds like a small thing, but we’ve found that healthier choices are made when everything on the store shelves is not “calling out” to us.

I really like the thought process of home being a “re fueling station.” A place to re charge on good food, good rest, love, and support.  I like it.

I totally agree about not keeping junk food in the house..if it is there, it will be eaten.  Also agree with being a good example.

We have also tried hard to encourage outdoor exercise as much as possible.

Both my kids and my husband are picky eaters....it is a constant challenge....I always offer lots of fruits and veggies and it seems to work.....sometimes!

Great topic!

Share Your Comments:

Name:

Email:

URL (optional):

Smileys

Remember me.

Notify me of follow-up comments?

Submit the word you see below:

My Twitter Posts