10 Healthy Habits to Start Now With Your Kids and Grandkids
By Kris Heeter
Unhealthy habits that begin in childhood typically extend into adult stages of life.
With the obesity rate and increasing health problems skyrocketing in children, it's never too early to start sharing healthy habits with your kids and grandkids.
There are certainly more than 10 healthy habits that can be started. This is just a handful of suggestions. Readers are encouraged to add and share their own ideas and healthy habits in the comment section at the end of this article!
1. Get your kids moving each day
Research shows that at least one hour of exercise is needed each day (by both adults and kids) for good health. Long periods of being seated increase the risk of obesity, cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Here are a few ideas for starters:
- Take a family bike ride.
- Play tag with your kids
- Get a family game of basketball going
- Find a state park and go hiking
- Find a pool and go swimming
...the possibilities are endless
2. Fill Your Kitchen With Healthy Options
Keep your pantry free of junk food and sugary drinks. And don't try to hide the bad stuff - get rid of it completely or bring it home only for special occasions.
Always have a fruit basket sitting out.
Stock the 'fridge with carrot, celery sticks, and other raw veggies and a low fat dip or dressing.
3. Have A Healthy Foods Contest With Your Kids
Create some family fun with a contest...
During the month, go through the alphabet and challenge each other to eat a fruit or veggie that starts with each letter
- A= apple
- B= banana
- C= carrot
- etc.
Who can make it all the way through the alphabet?
Or have a "designer" healthy food night - let the kids design a new creation or make variations of existing fun foods (for example, "ants on a log" - celery with peanut butter and raisins on top)
Let the kids invite friends over to sample their healthy creation.
4. Redefine "dessert"
Skip the bribe. Rewarding kids with something sweet if they eat their dinner is one of the worse habits to get into. That "reward" stimuli carries into adulthood. The feeling and need to have something sweet after each meal is one of the biggest struggles to overcome as an adult.
Instead, give the kids something healthy after dinner like yogurt, fruit or low fat popcorn.
5. Teach Kids Where Real Food Comes From
Take the time to understand and share with your kids where food really comes from. It's never to early to start learning how to read labels with them.
Together, learn the difference between living and non-living foods. Processed foods are not living and have been stripped of most beneficial nutrients.
Let your kids plant some patio tomatoes, a small container garden, or a regular garden if you have the space so they can learn and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
6. Keep A Family Food Journal
Start a journal with you kids. Each day, keep track of how many fruits and veggies you each had. This can be tied back into family contests. Which family member can eat the most fruits and veggies?
7. Water, Water, and more Water!
Take the time to explain the importance of water and hydration.
This is another habit that can also be tied back into the family food journal - track how much water the family drinks each day and then do some fun math at the end of the year to see how many gallons you each had.
8. Brush Teeth Right After Every Meal
Getting kids into this habit not only keeps their teeth healthy and happy, it discourages snacking after meals. And don't forget to floss! Flossing on a regular basis can add years to your life - seriously!
9. Set Good Bedtime Habits - Get Enough ZZZ's
Getting enough sleep is important at any age. Sleep deprivation in children affects mental growth and over time can contribute to a wide range of diseases: diabetes, mental illness, heart disease, and obesity.
10. Get Out to Enjoy and Explore Nature
Most kids now run the risk of what's now recognized as "nature deficit disorder". Studies have shown that exposure to nature is critical for both the physical and emotional development of children.
Practice What You Preach (and teach)
"Monkey see, Monkey do" - right!?!
Just telling your kids or grandkids what to do isn't going to work. They need to see you choosing and engaging in these healthy habits with them!
Readers are encourage to share additional ideas in the comment section below!
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My Top 3 "Must-Read" Books for Parents and Grandparents
1. Last Child In the Woods: saving our children from nature-deficit disorder by Richard Louv
2. Food Rules by Michael Pollen (this is "quick read" that can easily be read with or by kids)
3. Food, Inc. (as a book or DVD) - A startling insight on the cost of putting value and food convenience over nutrition and the environment.
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Comments
Great hub. I like the way you illustrated that habits need to be taught at younger age. Whatever you learn as kids, it will be with you forever. Thank you for the hub. I like reading your hubs.
Great hub, Kris! Excellent practices for teaching kids - and ourselves :)
I agree with you about personal example!
This is a very useful hub, Kris. Very informative but not too technical. Moreover, I really like how you present your ideas. Kids really love to play, so why not teach them a healthy eating habit the fun way? And yes, kids learn by imitation, so adults must really practice what they preach. I'm going to apply this tips on my personal eating habit. :)
Kris,
I love the tip for choosing a vegetable or a fruit by using the alphabet. I am going to try that one at my house. Also, water, water...we have a rule "If you are thirsty drink water". A drink of milk or juice isn't allowed as a thirst quencher in our house. Milk and juice are used at meals but as a drink they can add hidden fat and calories in your diet so we stick to water. I never worry that my family has not had enough water to drink by following that rule.
@cabmagmnt - let me know how the alphabet game goes! That's a great rule to have for water:)
@Neil Rose, @tarajeyaram, @andiemacian - thanks for stopping by and for the comments:)
Fantastic Hub that is written well and should be followed with great focus. I will be following as many of these tips with my daughters and granddaughters as I possibly can. Thank you!
@twilanelson - thanks for stopping by and I'm glad to hear the tips will be useful for you!
Thanks to all who have stopped by - I just received word today that this hub has been nominated as a hubnugget under the "food" category. It took me awhile to figure out what this was but found that those that like the hub can vote on the URL thru Dec 21st: http://hubpages.com/topics/food-and-cooking/1491
Wow, fabulous information and some really great ideas. I like the family food journal idea.. a LOT. Anyway, congrats on the nomination! I voted for you and good luck.
@wordscribe43 - thanks for stopping by. I'm happy to hear you liked the tips.
This is a great article. I have written a couple of hubs on healthy eating for kids/families as well. It is sooo important and really needs to start at an early age. I love the idea about the alphabet contest and keep a food journal and it being a contest. If you don't mind I'm going to link this to my healthy snacks for kids hub.
Congrats on your nomination!
@cardelean - thanks for stopping by and for the links. I'll create a link back to yours as well:)
Great advice--I especially like the tip, "Redefine dessert." We often skip dessert, but offering healthy desserts would be a better way to go!
@daleamy - skipping dessert can be good too! I sort of wish we had done that more as children. I'm so used to "having a dessert" at each meal that it's hard habit to break. Thanks for stopping by!
Excellent ideas! I especially like the "monkey see monkey do". My rule is never go to the movies on a sunny day unless it is above 100 degrees or below 40 degrees. My mid western bred husband will go to the movies anytime. His defense is his 100 miles a week bike rides during his commute.
@tirelesstraveler - your move rule is excellent, I like that one! Why waste a beautiful day indoors, right? Thanks for stopping by and contributing!
Healthy habits do start as kids and I wish I started earlier too. :) These are all wonderful things to do and I too would like to share this to our parents of our preschoolers. Much love and blessings.
Congratulations on your Hubnuggets nomination. To read and vote, this way: http://pattyinglishms.hubpages.com/_hubnuggets6/hu
@ ripplemaker - thanks for stopping by! I, too, wish I had started some of these earlier. Old bad habits are hard to break:)
Really useful and helpful tips. Keep it up
Such an excellent hub. Totally practical and useful. I hope people pay attention. Got one "kid friendly" home activity to suggest as an addition to your list. It's put on some music and dance. It's free and it's fun.
@grandparenting - thanks for stopping by and that's an excellent tip! I'll work to add that in. Who doesn't love free and fun:)
No wonder you have been read so much in such a short time. Great information, clearly written.
Thanks for stopping by Kathleen!
What a fabulous hub, lots of excellent useful tips that we can all benefit from.
I planted a lot of seeds with the grandchildren this year, they really enjoyed watching them grow then picking and eating the results!
@Movie Master - what a great activity to do with your grandchildren. I hope it becomes an annual activity for you guys. So many kids never have the opportunity to plant a garden and learn where their food comes from.
Kris Heeter - you sent me my first fan mail. It encouraged me to write. Thank you and Happy New Year. I really believe in teaching healthy habits at a young age. I chose this hub in my Tribute to 100 followers - top 10 hubs.
Kris Heeter:
Some fabulous points for everyone to keep in mind! Thanks for sharing 10 good habits to develop in the New Year!
@tarajeyaram - I'm so happy that you are continuing to write! And, I feel so honored to be included in your tribute:) thank-you!
@RTalloni - thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. Hope you New Year is off to a great start:)
A great guide and fabulous points you have written here. Following this guide would definitely help to prevent diseases like diabetics in the future. But well it is one thing to point this out to the kids and it is another thing for them to practice it religiously.
What a great hub, Kris!!! It starts w/ us - the parents. We cannot rely on teachers and coaches to teach our children the basics! =D Fabulous & useful tips!
Voted up & useful!
Nell Rose 5 months ago
Hi, this is a really good article about children and their food habits, I particulary like the idea of brushing teeth after eating every meal to stop snacking, rated up! cheers nell