National Nutrition Month

Almost everyone makes New Year's resolutions to maintain a healthier life in January (I know I did!), but life gets busy and it gets hard to maintain the regimen you may have planned to keep!

March is National Nutrition Month, and the At My Best children's wellness program (www.atmybest.ca), developed in partnership between AstraZeneca Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada, supports kids in learning about the importance of physical activity, proper nutrition and emotional well-being. It's truly an amazing program!! Almost half a million kindergarten to grade 3 students and their families will be introduced to At My Best this year!

I wanted to pass along a few simple tips that will help you build a foundation for a healthier family. Researchers say that encouraging kids to make informed eating choices now helps them establish patterns for healthy living that they'll carry into adulthood. I suggest that you read through these tips and try to incorporate them into your own daily lives! Being healthy can be fun!

1. Have a sit down family meal at least once a day. It’s a great way to catch up on day-to-day events, and an opportunity to introduce new foods to picky eaters. The more they see the family enjoying different foods together, the more likely they are to try it themselves.

2. Be a role model for your kids by eating healthy yourself. Stock up on a variety of nutritional snacks such as yogurt and fruit so nutritious choices are readily available.

3. For the most important meal of the day, forget sugar-filled breakfast cereals. Try a bowl of oatmeal with a few fresh berries, or whip up some simple scrambled eggs. Pressed for time? A nutritious breakfast smoothie can be enjoyed on the way to school.

4. Go to the market together. Involving your kids in the process can get them excited for mealtime, and asking them to help prepare meals can help them to be more willing to eat new foods or recipes. Letting them brag about the dinner they made will be an incentive to eat it.

Do you know of any other healthy suggestions? I'd love to hear them! E-Mail me at natasha@nkpr.net

Have a healthy weekend!

xo Natasha