Taking care of your kids is one of your number one priorities and their health is probably a huge concern to you – you’re not alone! When your little ones naturally gravitate towards chocolate ice cream and hours in front of the TV, it can feel a little like their health is slipping from your fingers.
But don’t worry – they’re not that fragile and it’s totally normal for kids to lean into those behaviors, just as long as they learn balance. If you’re looking to change up the flow of health in your home, here are some ways that moms can keep their kids healthy.
Having a Well-Stocked Kitchen
Having a well-stocked kitchen means many things. It can mean having loads of veggies in the fridge. It can mean being well-equipped with the right tools like good pots and pans as well as some high-quality knives and a whetstone to maintain them. It can even mean overflowing with recipe books and ideas to try.
But when it comes to kids, having a well-stocked kitchen means being ready for the snack war. Kids like to snack by nature, and sometimes they prefer to nibble throughout the day rather than sit down and eat their meals. When your kitchen is geared for snacking with loads of healthy options, this becomes way easier to manage.
Preparing Wholesome Meals
Preparing healthy meals that your kids will love can feel like mission impossible some days – but it really doesn’t need to be. When you think of a healthy meal, don’t think about a plate full of dry chicken breast and steamed broccoli.
Instead, think about delicious and interesting meals that feature the delicious things you love as well as wholesome ingredients. Soups, stews, fun casseroles, mac & cheese with hidden veggies, savory muffins, healthy stir fry, burritos and tacos… The options are endless.
Encouraging Outdoor Play
Kids these days are spending more and more time indoors, but we all need that daily Vitamin D. Encourage (or even demand) daily time outdoors, without a screen to keep them entertained. You could set a rule that says they need to hang out outside for at least one hour after school before they come inside to do their homework and some days you might like to join them in playing outside.
This will be great for their physical and mental health and will get them feeling re-energised after a long day at school.
Making Movement Part of Daily Life
Inspiring a love of movement in your kids when they’re still young will build the foundation of loving exercise for the rest of their lives. You can do this by making movement a fun family activity.
Consider going for a walk together every evening after dinner, doing some stretching in the mornings, kicking a ball around outside after school, riding bikes on the weekends or any other activity you think they might enjoy. This will set them up to see an active lifestyle as something they love rather than a chore.
