Eat More Fruits and Vegetables as a Family
August is Kids Eat Right Month! Do you have the resources you need?Check out this free nutrition handout, which is a perfect resource for helping kids and families eat more fruits and vegetables in a fun and balanced way.Get a preview of this free printable handout, then grab a copy for yourself!---Do you wish your family would eat more fruits and vegetables?Like most people, you probably already know that fruits and vegetables are important sources of essential vitamins and minerals. They’re high in fiber and low in fat and calories. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables helps lower the risk of certain diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.Help your family eat more fruits and vegetables by approaching meals as a team. Evaluate the meals you serve on a regular basis and brainstorm ways to add more fruits and vegetables. Are you ordering pizza? Could you make your own pizza using more vegetables? Or add some on top before serving it? Try broccoli, roasted red peppers, onions, fresh tomatoes, etc.
Plan as a TeamInvolve everyone in meal planning.
- Brainstorm healthful meal ideas as a family.
- Assign certain days of the week to different family members and put them in charge of planning/helping with the meal. This will help your family become more aware of what’s involved. Plus, kids are more likely to eat foods they’ve prepared.
Get GrowingMake a vegetable garden. If you can't have a garden in the ground, plant a small pot of herbs or lettuce.Try a ThemeHighlight a fruit or vegetable for the week. How many ways can you prepare it?For example, you could have raw broccoli as a snack, then serve it roasted as a side dish later in the week. Still later, you could steam it and puree it into a tasty soup.---Like what you see? Get the nutrition handout for free!
You can email it to clients, make it part of a healthful eating display, or just keep a couple copies in your office for one-on-one sessions.But wait, there's more! Check out the great Kids Eat Right Month resources in the Nutrition Education Store!
This just in! A new study published in Pediatrics indicates that when parents and children who both need to lose weight work together, both the parents' and the children's BMI is reduced by a larger percentage than when care is focused solely on the child. Teaming up makes the journey easier and the lifestyle changes more effective! Check out the post Heavy Preschoolers, Parents Treated Together Can Lower BMIs from Medscape Medical News for more details.
