HEALTHY EATING HABITS START AT HOME
Looking to make some healthy lifestyle changes for your family?
Summer time, when your kids are out of school, is a great time to
get started - planning fun healthy meals and getting outdoors to
play more together. With a few helpful tips and tools, making some
positive changes might be simpler than you think!
Start by taking a look in your grocery cart next time you go shopping
and consider the foods you keep in your cupboards, fridge and freezer.
That simple step should give you a pretty good idea of your typical
food choices.
The key is to remember that healthy eating starts at home and
you can influence your family's habits.
Want a little guidance to get you pointed in the right direction?
The Mission Nutrition* team has developed a whole new series of
tips and tools to help families make healthy living coming alive
in your home. The Mission Nutrition* program features adventures
in learning created by Canadian dieticians to support teachers and
families in instilling healthy eating habits in school age children.
Let the "family healthy eating tool kit" in the families' section
at www.missionnutrition.ca
be your 'how to' guide to help you make healthy choices and stay
on track this summer. Learn how to plan healthy breakfasts, lunches
and snacks, rate your meals to see how they measure up and make
your food choices count by shopping well with Canada's Food Guide.
Try the fun family activities to set goals for healthy living, check
out the healthy living tips, get answers to frequently asked questions
and find reliable healthy living resources.
Need some extra motivation to get you going? Enter the Mission Nutrition*
Healthy Eating Challenge for a chance to win a healthy eating makeover
for your family. Complete the family breakfast planner found in
the "family healthy eating tool kit" at
www.missionnutrition.ca
and submit it with your entry form before August 22nd. A registered
dietician could be visiting your home this Fall to give you useful
tips for planning healthy meals and snacks for your family. She
can help you identify healthy eating and shopping goals and develop
a healthy eating plan tailored to your family's particular needs
and food preferences to guide you on your healthy living journey.
Remember, healthy living is about making healthy choices, like eating
well, being active and feeling good about yourself every day. You
can teach your family about healthy eating choices through the foods
you offer and by being a good role model. Registered dietician Lynn
Roblin gives this advice:
- Keep nutritious foods and snacks close at hand. For example,
put a bowl of fruit on your kitchen counter, keep cut vegetables
and fruit and yogurt in the refrigerator or pack with a cereal
bar in the kids' lunch boxes.
- Plan meals ahead of time using the meal planners on the
mission nutrition website. Having a plan makes is easier to
know what to shop for and can help speed up meal preparation
time. You might even get other members to start a meal on their
own if they know what is planned.
- Aim to include nutritious foods from at least 3 of the 4
food groups for breakfast and foods from all 4 food groups for
lunch and dinner.
- Focus on offering nutritious food choices and teach children
that foods and beverages high in calories, fat, sugar or salt
should be limited, but can be enjoyed at times.
- Eat with your children. When families eat together, children
tend to make healthier food choices and get more of the nutrients
they need for healthy growth and development. Family meal times
are a great time to create healthy eating habits for life!
Click here to download a PDF:
http://www.communitynews.ca/files/releases/MNParentFlyerFinalEng.pdf
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