I am guessing I’m not alone here…. I’ve noticed that being stuck at home with the kids over the last 6 months has made it easy for us to fall out of normal routines. Our schedule has become more and more relaxed, the kids have inevitably had more screen time, there has been more access to junk food snacks, and no regular recess or gym!! Of course maintaining this kind of lifestyle will eventually lead to unhealthy weight gain and reduced fitness. So if you are in the same boat we are in, you might ask, what can I do to help keep my family stay healthy? Here are some tips to keep everyone active and eating well.

Physical Activity

Encourage your kids to be active for least 30 minutes each day. Whenever possible, let them go outside and play. Go for a walk, run, bike ride, go for a hike, do yoga or play sports like soccer, basketball, or whiffle ball together as a family.

Additional resources are available online!

Sleep

Getting enough sleep has many health benefits, and helps kids keep a healthy weight. Help your kids get to bed on time and wake up at the same time every day. Skip daytime naps for older kids, and turn off all screens at least 1 hour before bed.

Sleep needs vary from child to child. But try for:

  • toddlers: 11–14 hours, including daytime naps

  • preschoolers: 10–13 hours, including naps

  • school-age kids and preteens: 9–12 hours a night

  • teens: 8–10 hours a night

Maintaining a schedule

Daily schedules can help everyone stick to routines. Besides setting consistent times for sleeping and eating, schedule time for:

  • reading/ educational activity

  • daily "gym class," recess, and other times to be active

  • screen time

  • chores or other household tasks

  • family time to play games, watch a movie, or do other things together, like baking

IMG_5270.jpeg

Nutrition

snack.png

Healthy snacks can help manage hunger and boost nutrition. An occasional treat is fine, but serve good-for-you snacks most of the time.

Make your home a healthy food zone. Put the focus on:

  • fruits and vegetables. Fresh is great, but frozen or canned fruit and veggies are good options, especially when you want to limit trips to the grocery store. Just choose ones with no added salt, sugar, syrups, or sauces.

  • whole grains, such as whole-grain bread, brown rice, quinoa, and whole-wheat pasta

  • foods high in protein, such as lean meats, dried or canned beans, eggs, and peanut butter.

    Healthy snacks can help manage hunger and boost nutrition. An occasional treat is fine, but serve good-for-you snacks most of the time.

  1. Set a Snack-Time Schedule

    Creating a consistent window where kids are offered snacks will help get them into a routine once school starts up. For little kids who tend to get hangry in the late afternoon, setting out a pre-dinner veggie plate will curb your child's appetite. It's a really great way to introduce new, healthy foods, too!

  2. Save time by slicing veggies
    Store sliced vegetables in the refrigerator and serve with dips like hummus or low-calorie dressing. Top half a whole-wheat English muffin with spaghetti sauce, chopped vegetables, and low-fat shredded mozzarella and melt in the microwave.

  3. Mix it up
    For older school-age kids, mix dried fruit, unsalted nuts, and popcorn in a snack-size bag for a quick trail mix. Blend plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt with 100% fruit juice and frozen peaches for a tasty smoothie.

  4. Rethink Your Family's Definition of Snacks
    Snacks are literally just another opportunity to eat, so I like to present them as mini meals. You can have something as easy as a hard-boiled egg. You always can give kids your leftover chicken and veggies from dinner the night before. And then for lunch, you could have a veggie and cheese tray; there aren't any food rules. I think we get caught up in the misconception that only certain foods are served in a certain time of day

  5. Go for great whole grains 
    Offer whole-wheat breads, popcorn, and whole-oat cereals that are high in fiber and low in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Limit refined-grain products such as snack bars, cakes, and sweetened cereals.

  6. Nibble on lean protein
    Choose lean protein foods such as low-sodium deli meats or unsalted nuts. Wrap sliced, low-sodium deli turkey around an apple wedge. Store hard-cooked (boiled) eggs in the refrigerator for kids to enjoy any time.

  7. Involve your children in the making of snacks as much as possible.

    Everything tastes better when you make it yourself! Use weekends to prepare certain snacks ahead of time. If you can, stick them in the freezer until they are needed or store in the refrigerator in Tupperware for quick access.

  8. Fruits are quick and easy
    Fresh, frozen, dried, or canned fruits can be easy “grab-and-go” options that need little preparation. Offer whole fruit and limit the amount of 100% juice served.

  9. Swap out the sugar
    Keep healthier foods handy so kids avoid cookies, pastries, or candies between meals. Add seltzer water to a ½ cup of 100% fruit juice instead of offering soda.

  10. Prepare homemade goodies
    For homemade sweets, add dried fruits like apricots or raisins and reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. Adjust recipes that include fats like butter or shortening by using unsweetened applesauce or prune puree for half the amount of fat.

I hope some of these tips help you and your family to stay healthy at home! I plan on researching more resources to share as we navigate these unprecedented times.
Love and light — Cassy