Dear Karen, Do you have any tips for getting the kids – and us parents – to improve our diet and activity level? We need help! Regards, Monica Brown.

Karen's Response

Dear Monica,

As a parent, you are your child’s first teachers and their lifetime role models. Kids generally emulate eating and exercise habits from their parents. Chapter 7 of my book ‘Lets Eat Right: for families’, identifies six strategies you might find helpful.

1) Eat breakfast. Research confirms that breakfast eaters of all ages are more likely to be in the healthy weight range. And children who eat an inadequate breakfast are more likely to make poor food choices for the rest of the day and in the long term, which may lead to an increased risk of obesity.

An easy breakfast is a small bowl of cereal, preferably wholegrain, or some fruit, or even a yoghourt drink.

2) Drink plenty of water. In today’s modern world of advertising, it’s hard to convince kids that sweetened fruit drinks, soft drinks and cordials are occasional drinks. If you expect your kids to drink water with meals while you down a soft drink, it won’t be long before they are demanding a soft drink too. Just place a jug of water on the table as part of your normal table setting – it’s amazing how quickly the kids will get into the habit of drinking water at meal times.

3) Pack a punch with a healthy lunch. OK, so it is a challenge to find the balance between a lunchbox that kids (and adults) will enjoy and one that is good for them. Encourage everyone to help at your home sandwich bar in the mornings, and have an array of nutritious foods, including fresh fruit, to choose from.

4) Snack smart. While grazing during the day is the best way for kids to keep energy levels up and perform well, unhealthy snacking has been partially blamed for the growing obesity epidemic. Forget chips and high fat biscuits, aim for fresh fruit, low-fat yoghourt or yoghourt drinks, low-fat grain and fruit-based bars, small serves of dried fruit and nuts or snack-size cans of baked beans.

5) Eat with your kids. Eating together is about letting your kids see first-hand that you do practice what you teach, and that you do enjoy healthy foods. It can be as simple as sharing a cut-up apple or whipping up a batch of banana smoothies after school. Preparing food together is the perfect time to discuss aspects of food choice, like reasonable portion sizes, and teach the concept of ‘everyday’ and ‘occasional foods’, rather than ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods.

6) Be a GO coach. Providing daily opportunities for children — and parents — to be active in a variety of ways is good for all the family. Simple things like avoiding driving the kids on short trips when walking is possible, limiting TV or computer time, and playing games with them, encouraging them to play a sport or swim, or just going for a walk in the evening together will help you, and the children, be active and show your support.

Regards,

Karen Inge.