1. Devise a healthy snack list with your child. Post on the refrigerator.
2. Teach your child to cook.
3. Involve your child at the supermarket by assigning a list of nutritious foods to find.
4. Start each day with a nutritious breakfast. Not only will your child pay attention at school, breakfast plays a role in healthy weight regulation.
5. Encourage your child to play outside whenever feasible. Adults can play too! You’re it!
6. On the weekend, live life instead of watching it on TV. Find a new place to hike, bike, cross-country ski or run.
7. Find an indoor swim center that you can use all year long.
8. Discuss food advertising with your child. Write letters to the advertisers that inundate children’s programming with low-nutrition food and beverages ads.
9. Teach your child how to read and understand the information on food labels.
10. Be a role model! Show your child how much you enjoy nutritious foods and fun, physical activity.

by Connie Evers, MS, RD

Connie Evers MS, RD, is a specialist in children’s health and nutrition education and the author of “How to Teach Nutrition to Kids”, a book which is used in thousands of schools throughout the world as a framework for nutrition education.  She also is author of  “Feeding Kids” newsletter.