The earlier you can develop healthy family habits, the more likely your kids are to accept them. This can be really important for helping them to make lifestyle choices that will serve them well as adults too.
If you’re trying to make sure that your family lives a healthier life, adopting some of these habits could make a big difference.
Making healthy eating your new lifestyle
The first step to healthy family habits is how you eat. If healthy eating is a way of life for your family, it’s hard for kids not to develop good healthy family habits around nutrition.
If you don’t have unhealthy foods in the home and use fast food or sweets as treats every now and then, there’s a much better chance that your family will get on board with eating well, especially if this is done from a really early age. That said, it’s never too late to get your family eating more healthily!
Drawing clear lines around “everyday” foods
Healthy families tend to draw clear boundaries around which foods are classified as “everyday” foods and which are foods that can be eaten on an occasional basis.
In a nutshell, “everyday” foods are the healthy kind that can make up the bulk of your meals and snacks. Nutritious, whole foods fall into this group.
Anything that is processed and high in sugar, salt or fat goes into the other category and while they aren’t completely banned, they shouldn’t be eaten every single day.
Ideally your kids will know the difference between the two groups and why certain foods fall into the “everyday” group while others don’t. Teach them the difference to ensure their healthy family habits are a lifelong!
Cooking Together
Simply one of the best healthy family habits to do! Getting kids involved in making the meals and snacks that go on their plate is a healthy habit that can help to create a positive relationship between your family and good nutrition.
Make cooking a family activity and get everyone engaged in preparing food. Small children can be given a role in the kitchen, even if it’s just setting the table or stirring the bowl when you’re baking together. Bigger kids can take a much more active role and get a bit more hands on.
Smart Snacking
Traditional snacks such as cookies or crackers can be high in sugar and salt. Swapping them for fruits and raw vegetables is often a much healthier choice. Lots of fruits are naturally sweet and you can team raw veggies such as celery and carrot with nut butters for a more filling snack. Older kids can help chop up fruits and vegetables for the week ahead.
Making time for meals
Too often, mealtimes are a rushed affair. If this tends to be the case in your home, try getting into the habit of making eating more mindful and mealtimes more leisurely so that everyone has time to fully digest their food. Plus, it’s a perfect opportunity for spending time together as a family. Eliminate devices at the table to improve connection and meaningful conversation.
Making Physical Activity a Priority
Making exercise a key part of day-to-day life is another healthy habit to adopt. Pretty much anything goes, as long as it gets everyone moving. Get creative and find activities that the whole family can enjoy together so that it doesn’t feel like a chore.
A gentle walk or bike ride in the morning or evening as a family can count and it helps to boost mood, reduce anxiety and improve sleep patterns. Plus, it cuts down on family screen time, which is another bonus!
Encouraging Gratitude
An easy way to do this involves encouraging your kids to keep a gratitude diary and write down 3 to 5 things that they’re grateful for. This can be really simple and doesn’t have to be anything profound. In fact, expressing gratitude for the smaller things in life can be more effective.
Studies have shown that gratitude diaries can help to improve wellbeing, promote better sleep and even boost immunity. From a parental point-of-view, those are some pretty cool benefits!
Minimizing Screen Time
Spending time apart from your devices is a great way to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the whole family. Research has linked technology to increased levels of stress and anxiety. When you think of it like that, you can see how important it is to get into the habit of reducing your family’s screen time.
Making mealtimes a tech free zone is a great start to putting this healthy habit into motion. You can take this a step further and have a whole day dedicated to being a device-free day. Screen Free Saturdays or Sundays, anyone?
This is a great opportunity to spend some quality time together without the inevitable distractions that come with technology.
Now off you go create some healthy family habits for your family!
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