KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- With school out and kids at home, now is a great time to start getting up to speed on your children’s healthy eating habits so they are ready and nourished for school to start again in the fall. With no more school lunches and more meals to plan, it can be easy to let nutrition fall out of hand. So get into a summer routine with activities and healthy eating by following a few simple guidelines.
First, don’t be afraid to discuss with your child about what it means to be healthy. Let them know why eating fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains is good for them and that we need to practice healthy eating and being active all year round. Follow the 5,4,3,2,1 rule which means 5 servings of fruits/vegetables, 4 full glasses of water, 3 servings of low-fat dairy, 2 or few hours of screen time, and 1 hour of physical activity each day.
Use this extra downtime in the summer to really focus on getting your children involved with their food. Plant a garden, visit a farmer’s market or grocery store and let your child pick from the produce section themselves on what fruits and vegetables they would like to eat and/or grow. They are more likely to get enthusiastic about healthy foods and drinks when they are involved in picking them out and making them. Making fruit smoothies together that include a green vegetable is a great way to have kids get involved in making their own healthy treat! See the following recipe for kids to make their own green smoothie at home:
Healthy Green Smoothie Recipe
2 cups of liquid (milk, almond milk, or coconut milk)
3-4 handfuls of greens (baby kale, spinach, or bok choy)
2 cups of fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, cherries, mangoes, peaches, etc.)
1 creamy fruit (avocado or banana)
2 tbsp healthy fat (flaxseeds, nuts, seeds, nut butters, or chia seeds)
Optional: add honey, dates or more banana for extra sweetness; add spices such as cinnamon, vanilla or ginger for more flavor; add ice cubes for texture
Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Add extra liquid if too thick. Enjoy!
Eat dinner together rather than preparing dishes for each individual family member. Eating together as a family shows positive eating behaviors that your children should be engaged in. Encourage family members to make healthier habits and positive nutrition choices so that your children will be more inclined to make the same choices at meal time.
Remember to still get outside and be active! With more free time in the summer it can be easy for kids to fall into watching TV or playing video games to pass the time. Higher inactivity can put them at risk of gaining weight. Find fun active things for them to do this summer like camp, swimming at the local pool, hiking or biking outside, or just an after dinner walk. These not only contribute to getting them more active, but can also help to provide more routine and structure to the summer months at home.
And with more summer activities means more instances of grabbing convenience foods. Instead, make sure to still pack a lunch and bring healthy snacks to eat while out. Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit is easy to transport and provides healthy protein and fiber. Celery with peanut butter or almond butter and dried fruit can be wrapped in foil and taken along in a tote bag. You can also bring containers of fresh fruit such as grapes or cherries.