Tips for parents: Encouraging a balanced life!

Good nutrition and a balanced diet will help your child grow up healthy. Whether your kid is a toddler or a teen, you can take steps to improve nutrition and encourage smart eating habits. Five of the best strategies are:

1. Have regular family meals.
2. Serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks.
3. Be a role model by following a healthy balanced diet yourself.
4. Avoid battles over food.
5. Involve kids in the process.

But it's not easy to take these steps when everyone is juggling busy schedules and convenience food, such as fast food, is so readily available. Here are some suggestions to help you incorporate all five strategies into your routine:

1. Family Meals
Family meals are a comforting ritual for both parents and kids. Children like the predictability of family meals and parents get a chance to catch up with their kids. In addition, family meals offer the chance to introduce your child to new foods and find out which foods your child likes and which ones he or she doesn't.
Teens may turn up their noses at the prospect of a family meal - not surprising because they're trying to establish independence. Yet studies find that teens still want their parents' advice and counsel, so use mealtime as a chance to reconnect. Also, consider trying these strategies:

• Allow your teen to invite a friend to dinner.
• Involve your teen in meal planning and preparation.
• Keep mealtime calm and friendly - no lectures or arguing.

What counts as a family meal? Any time you and your family eat together! Strive for nutritious food and a time when everyone can be there. This may mean eating dinner a little later to accommodate a child who's at sports practice. It can also mean setting aside time on the weekends, such as Sunday brunch, when it may be more convenient to gather as a group.
2. Stocking Up on Healthy Foods
Kids, especially younger ones, will eat mostly what's available at home. That's why it's important to control the supply lines - the foods that you serve for meals and have on hand for snacks. Follow these basic guidelines:

• Work fruits and vegetables into the daily routine, aiming for the goal of 5 servings a day (Example of 1 serving: a medium sized banana, about 10 strawberries, a medium-sized carrot)
• Make it easy for your child to choose healthy snacks by keeping fruits and vegetables on hand and ready to eat. E.g. preparing chopped pieces of fruit in a small container for your kids to eat during their lunch break. Other good snacks include yogurt, whole-grain crackers and cereals, dried fruits and nuts.
• Serve lean meats and other good sources of protein, such as beans and nuts.
• Choose whole-grain breads and cereals so your child gets more fiber.
• Limit fat intake by avoiding deep-fried foods and choosing healthier cooking methods, such as broiling, grilling, roasting, and steaming.
• Limit fast food and other low-nutrient snacks, such as chips and candy. However don't completely ban such snacks from your home - instead, make them "once-in-a-while" foods, to be taken in moderation so your child doesn't feel deprived.
• Limit sugary drinks, such as soda and fruit-flavoured drinks. Serve water and milk instead.
• Don’t label any foods ‘bad’ or ‘good’: Encourage children to eat a varied diet, to listen to their bodies and to enjoy their food

For more information on nutrition, see the ‘Frequently asked questions about nutrition and healthy eating.’
3. Encourage physical activity:
Health and Fitness benefits of a regular fitness walking program include:

• Reduces Body Fat. There is more to excess body fat than just our appearance. Excessive body fat has been linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and bone and joint deterioration .
• Reduces Blood Cholesterol. In conjunction with a low-fat diet, regular fitness walking can reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering the total cholesterol level
• Reduces Blood Pressure.
• Increases Metabolism. A regimen of fitness walking can rev up the metabolism by increasing the amount of metabolically active or "calorie-burning" lean muscle tissue.
• Maintains Bone Density.
• Increases Flexibility and Tones Muscles
• Increases Muscle Strength
• Reduces Stress. Vigorous exercise stimulates the body to release "endorphins", morphine-like chemicals that make us feel better.
• Improves Problem-solving - stepping back from a problem may be the most effective way to solve it.
• Improves Self-esteem. By helping you to look and feel good, exercise can help improve how you feel about yourself.