5 Rules to Raising Healthy Kids

By Deborah Lowther @kidsgummymum

Sponsored By:

adultgummies.com

Statistics show children are less active and more over weight than ever before. With the abundance of convenient sugary packaged treats and more kids now engaged in computer games rather than street hockey, how can parents today raise healthy kids?

Follow these key rules to encourage healthier eating and a more active lifestyle and hopefully we can turn those stats around!

1. Active Family Time

Active families don’t just happen. It takes effort to teach kids to ride bikes, and organization to get kids to hockey practice, swimming lessons, dance, gymnastics, skating and karate many times a week. It also takes parents modeling an active lifestyle. Go for a skate, a bike ride, a jog, or a hike as a family. Research shows that active kids sleep better, eat better, are more alert, have fewer colds, and have a better chance of growing into healthy, active adults. Active parents have a better chance of raising active kids and active kids are healthy kids.

2. Smart Snacking

Start with stocking the fridge with healthy food and passing on the convenient processed packages at the grocery store. Apples are natures candy, sweet, juicy and full of vitamins and fiber.
 Almonds are packed with healthy oils, protein, fiber, vitamin E and make a great after school snack. Yogurt has calcium for growing bones. Getting kids to eat a rainbow of fruits and veggies provides the vitamins they need for strong immune systems. Be smart about snacks and offer healthy options such as hard boiled eggs, lightly steamed veggies & dip, fruit kebobs, cheese cubes, yogurt, roasted chick peas, kale chips, frozen grapes or hummus and pretzels.

3. Homemade is Healthier

It’s one thing to see all these brightly coloured convenient snacks with familiar cartoon characters begging children’s attention on grocery store shelves, its another to see a child lunch box completely full of processed food. Pass on sugary snacks and try baking for a couple hours on one weekend and store everything in the freezer. One bake will yield enough snacks to fill lunches with healthy treats for 3 weeks! Think of all the nutrition baking full grain muffins, fruit filled cookies or spinach laden brownies for your healthy kids.

4. Favour Fish

he best fish is full of Omega 3 fatty acids, an essential fatty acid that your body cannot produce on its own so must come from your diet. Omega 3s are key nutrients for brain and cardiovascular health. Health Canada has not established recommended daily intake for omega 3s, but Canada’s Food Guide suggests eating at least two 75-gram servings of fish per week. If fatty fish is not a staple at your house, try an Omega 3 supplement such as Health Canada approved IronKids Omega 3s, a great source of this essential nutrients without the fishy taste!

5. Vital Vitamins

Eating a healthy and well balanced diet can ensure you get enough of the important vitamins such as vitamin A, B, C, E, calcium, folate, and fibre, but some nutrients are difficult to get enough of through food. Omega 3s is one example as is Vitamin D. Vitamin D  important for a healthy immune system and preventing many diseases, is synthesized by our skin when exposed to sunlight. However, winter months when there is less daylight hours and sunscreen, shade or clothing can inhibit its absorption. According to Health Canada, children need at least 400IU of Vitamin D and adults up to 1000IU. Make fresh fruits and vegetables part of our daily diet for the majority of your vital vitamins, and add in Vitamin D supplements if you are not getting enough through diet alone.

Show your kids that staying active, eating fruits, vegetables, homemade foods and taking vitamins is a commitment to a healthy lifestyle that your family is willing to make.

More about Deborah Lowther:

Deb Lowther is a mother of 3 young daughters who, when not running after the kids, is running in the trails! She blogs about Raising Healthy Kids and ensures her own have fun while eating healthy & staying active. To read more articles you can visit her websites www.iron-kids.com & www.adultgummies.com

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