Healthy back-to-school tips using Carotino part two
Last week we offered three healthy back-to-school tips that will help keep your sons and daughters performing to the best of their abilities this school year. This week, we’re back with three more habits that will help set a lifelong standard of healthy living for your family.
Tip #1: Make time for more family meals. Children who eat regularly planned meals with their families are 40 percent more likely to achieve better grades in school than children who have fewer family meals, according to a study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. With a chaotic schedule filled with sports practices, dance recitals and band concerts, it’s sometimes easier to grab dinner at the drive-thru than eat as a family, but try to set aside a few days a week to eat at home. Once you’ve gathered everyone around the dinner table, remember to turn off the TV, cell phones and other distractions to create an atmosphere of conversation and bonding time.
Tip #2: Teach by example. Instead of dieting, focus on helping your entire family choose healthier, more nutritious foods and a more active lifestyle. Try introducing a new nutritious recipe each month, and make family walks in the park a weekly activity. Remember, children take their cues from you, so when they see you doing such things as replacing butter with cholesterol-free oils such as Carotino, they’re likely to repeat this healthy eating habit when they are adults.
Tip #3: Let your children help prepare meals. Often adults who fill up on high-fat, high-salt fast foods may do so because they never learned to cook nutritious meals. Encourage your children to be mom and dad’s little helpers in the kitchen so they can learn life-long lessons about nutrition and healthy eating.
Getting back into the routine of school can be tough for both children and adults. Use these back-to-school tips to help your child stay focused in the classroom, and set a standard of healthy living for your family. For nutritious meals and after school snack ideas the entire family will love, check out our cooking with Carotino page.
