{"id":7707,"date":"2014-01-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-01-07T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/healthy-habits-for-the-whole-family\/"},"modified":"2014-01-07T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-01-07T00:00:00","slug":"healthy-habits-for-the-whole-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/es\/healthy-habits-for-the-whole-family\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy Habits for the Whole Family"},"content":{"rendered":"

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One of the best gifts you can give your children is a set of healthy habits that they can take with them into adulthood. As a partner of the Together Counts\u2122<\/a> program, I realize that getting your family to be more physically active and share more families dinners together can be a difficult task. These four simple steps will help your family develop healthy habits that stay for a lifetime.<\/p>\n

4 Steps to a Healthier Family<\/b><\/p>\n

1. Set Goals Together<\/b><\/p>\n

Sit down as a family and brainstorm changes you\u2019d like to make. \u00abKids are more likely to buy into healthy habits if their opinions and suggestions are listened to,\u00bb says Rachel Begun, MS, RDN, a food and nutrition consultant in Boulder, Colo. Pick one or two goals that everyone agrees is important and turn them into S.M.A.R.T. goals.<\/p>\n

2. Make S.M.A.R.T. Goals<\/b><\/p>\n

Make your goal as clear as possible so no confusion exists about what you\u2019re working toward and when you\u2019ve achieved it. A S.M.A.R.T. goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-framed.<\/p>\n

For example, a regular goal is: \u201cEveryone eats breakfast in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a S.M.A.R.T. goal, it is: \u201cThe whole family will eat a wholesome breakfast Monday through Friday either in the kitchen or the car (on rushed days).<\/p>\n

3. Show, Don’t Tell<\/b><\/p>\n

Most kids between 8 and 17 name their mother as their number one role model and their father as number two, according to a 2011 study by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. They watch and emulate your behavior more than you may realize. In the same report, more than 70 percent of kids said, \u00abIf their parents ate balanced meals at home, it would help them do the same.\u00bb Changing behaviors now, while they\u2019re young, can set kids up for a healthy adult life, according to Begun.<\/p>\n

4. Prepare for Challenges<\/b><\/p>\n

If it were easy to achieve your goals, you would have done it already. So, don\u2019t be afraid of challenges \u2014 prepare to overcome them. \u201cLack of time is the biggest barrier to adopting healthy habits,\u201d says Begun. Fortunately, small schedule tweaks equal big results. She suggests substituting some TV time for cooking together as a family, or going to bed and waking up 15 minutes earlier so that you have time for breakfast. Maryann Jacobsen, MS, RD, co-author of Fearless Feeding, suggests using a slow cooker, or planning and shopping for weekly meals in advance.<\/p>\n

Take it slow and cut yourself some slack, because change won\u2019t happen overnight, adds Jacobsen. Try different strategies to find what works for your family, and forget about perfection \u2014 if what you\u2019re doing isn\u2019t fun and rewarding, it\u2019s not going to last.<\/p>\n

Achieving your healthy goals can have far-reaching benefits. Cooking teaches kids math skills, waking up early for breakfast encourages time management, and simply spending time as a family allows you to find out what\u2019s going on in your kids\u2019 lives, adds Begun.<\/p>\n

This post was written by Caroline Kaufman, MS, RDN, and originally published on <\/i>Eat Right.org<\/i><\/a>. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is a member of the Together Counts\u2122 program and the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation.<\/i><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in reading about more tips for a healthy family take a look at these other articles:<\/p>\n