With Father’s Day weekend fast approaching, it’s a good time to consider the role that dads play in the health of their family. While more fathers play an active role in cooking than ever in our history, mothers still take on brunt of these daily chores.

But according to a recent survey of 1000 dads, the majority of fathers want to be more involved in the day-to-day kid stuff. Fifty-three percent said they would consider staying home if finances weren’t an issue. And fathers actually rated job security and flexible hours as more important than high income and advancement opportunities.

So dads, while you may not have as much time as you want to be involved in your kids’ lives, here are some things you can do to positively shape their current and future health.

1. Be there for meals as often as you can. Everyone knows family meals are important but late hours and demanding jobs can make this tough for fathers. What’s a dad to do?

Make a point to get off early once or twice a week or sit down with the family at other times like breakfast. Take advantage of weekends when there is usually less to do. When you show your kids that you value the family meal it makes a difference. In fact, two recent studies show that dads’ fast food habits, both with kids and without, negatively impact the eating habits of their children.

2. Try more foods: According to our 2010 survey, some of you complained that the dads in your lives are just as picky as your kids, making mealtime a challenge.

Dads, if this applies to you, show your kids that you are willing to try new foods and accept less-than-favorite meals. Don’t let previous experiences with foods, like vegetables, hold you back. Studies show that as we age our taste buds are more accepting of bitter tastes in many vegetables.  

Remember, it takes kids many years to learn to like a variety of foods and they look to both parents for guidance.

3. Be on the same page as mom: In two parent families it’s much more powerful if both parents feed in the same way.  If one parent follows the division of responsibility but the other exterts pressure or restricts the child, it sends mixed messages.  So when it comes to feeding, have a unified approach and stay consistent.

4. Make feeding yourself a priority: My experience as a dietitian and nutrition counselor tells me that men, in general, are not as good at planning meals for themselves as women. The trend I see is skipping breakfast or eating something quick, grabbing a quick lunch and coming home ravenous followed by eating all night.

Show your kids that eating and food are priorities for you by sitting down for breakfast and packing snacks and a balanced lunch if access to good food at work is limited. Do this enough and you’ll start liking it.

5. Deal with stress positively: Every dad deserves a late night of relaxation once in a while. But if staying up late, eating erratically and avoiding exercise are all ways you deal with the stress, your kids — and your stress — will take notice.

Stress only gets worse when we are sleep-deprived and not fed well. When things get rough at the office, it’s even more important to take care of yourself. Teach your kids this early and you will save them lots of hard lessons when they get older.

6. Give mom a feeding break: Okay, I’m adding this one in for selfish reasons. I know some of you dads already cook a lot. But for those of you who don’t, help out with a meal or two. If cooking seems too daunting, help with the feeding (especially kids under 2), set up and clean up. It’s great for kids to see dads active in the kitchen and playing a role in feeding.

Every Saturday morning in my home I go for a long workout while my husband feeds the kids. They enjoy the daddy time and I love the break.

7. Spend active time with kids: This article on The Motherlode discusses the importance of dads playing with their kids. According to the authors of The Art of Roughhousing: Good Old Fashion Horseplay and Why Every Kid Needs It:

“Physical fitness is an obvious benefit of roughhousing. A less obvious — but more important — benefit of roughhousing is the way it helps dads and children tune in to each other. When a father and child work together to master a complicated flip like the Houdini or the Red Tornado, they both gain a sense of accomplishment from paying close attention to each other’s emotions and cues. The result is a feeling of closeness that benefits both father and child.”

Other “active” father and child activities include hiking, throwing a ball, or going to the park. Let’s face it, physical activity makes everyone feel better and is a great way to spend quality time together

Benefiting the health of a child, for fathers, is really simple. Share balanced meals together, spend active quality time and be a positive role model when it comes to self care.

Since most of my readers are women, make sure to send this to the dads in your lives. Happy Father’s Day!

March is National Nutrition Month — a time when Registered Dietitians (RD) educate the public about healthy eating.  To get the word out, Janet Helm over at Nutrition Unplugged invited RD bloggers to write about what they think it will take to change Americans’ eating habits.  So here’s my shot at it — but don’t miss other RDs’ advice at the end of this post (if links aren’t there yet check back later).

My first job as an RD was as a nutrition counselor in a hospital.  Unfortunately, I dumped tons of healthy eating information in my patients’ laps.  When I coupled this information with the words “forever” and “lifelong” the fear these poor people felt was palpable.

I’ve learned a lot since then and now understand that it’s not more nutrition information people need but help translating the advice into their busy lives.  And what better way to illustrate this then with the famous story The Wizard of Oz.

1. Look inside for solutions, not outside: Each of the characters in The Wizard of Oz believed they needed something they didn’t already have to reach their goals.  The scarecrow needed a brain, the tin man a heart, the lion courage and Dorothy needed transportation to get home.  

With a 40-billion diet industry we are constantly sold the idea that we need something special to achieve good health — a diet plan, supplements, specialty products, more time and even willpower.  As long as we believe that we need something outside of us — and our daily lives — we will keep searching (and waiting) instead of tapping into the amazing power we already have.

2. Learn to tap into your power source:  The “aha” moment in The Wizard of Oz was when the characters realized that they each already had the ability to create the life they wanted.

When it comes to leading the healthy lifestyle of our dreams, we have that power too.  When we start with where we are, the foods we love and the daily routine we treasure, we can find solutions that actually work for us.  It’s amazing how much easier things can be when we stop fighting our lives, and ourselves, and actually use what we have to our advantage.

3. Lose the big goal and take small steps: Each of The Wizard of Oz characters where guilty of focusing on the their big goal instead of the little steps they needed to achieve success.  This is what the journey to the wizard brought them — each step they took moved them closer to their goal.

Small steps to improve eating and exercise do two things.  First, they are attainable which helps build confidence.  Second, they are much more likely to match our lifestyle and personal preferences than big, sweeping changes.  In fact, the process becomes so enjoyable, that we often forget about the big goal and sometimes end up on a totally different (and more fun) adventure than planned. 

Below are examples of small changes to try.  The goal is to master each small goal and either add onto it or try a different one. 

-Sit down for meals and snacks, being mindful when eating. 

-Add a different fruit or veggie to meals or snacks each week. 

-Walk for 5 minutes a day (or 1 or 2 minutes).

-Try a new quick and nutritious recipe for dinner every month — keep those that taste great in a folder.

-Make a point to pay attention to hunger and fullness signals.  If you need some help, learn from your toddler.

-Include a sensible portion of one of your favorite fun foods each day.

-Click here for more small steps.

4. Change along with life changes: What we don’t see in The Wizard of Oz is what happens later — something dietitians call maintenance.  Many people tell me how they used to eat well and exercise but something got in the way — a new job, a baby, a move or any life stressor.

This may be the most overlooked contributor to lifelong healthy eating habits and exercise — the ability to adapt with the current of your life.  Maybe morning workouts used to work for your old job but with your new one, walking at lunch makes much more sense.

With toddler at home, cooking elaborate meals goes out the window so easy meals prepped earlier in the day is key.  Sometimes we have to sacrifice our first preference, in order to get through a challenging period. I for one can’t wait to get back into the gym.  But for now, DVD tapes and running work best while chasing after little ones.

5. Be the expert on yourself:  At the end of The Wizard of Oz each of the characters have found their way — their place in the world that feels right for them. 

Yes, registered dietitians are the food and nutrition experts but the real expert is you.  We can provide you with evidenced-based advice but only you know how to fit it into your life and personal preferences — and that of your family. 

And most importantly, with all this talk about change, the gift you give to your children is to teach them that they already have the power.  Hopefully, by the time they are adults healthy habits and their lifestyle will already be in perfect harmony (no change required).

So what do I think it will take to help Americans eat better?  For every person to realize that they already have what they need to be healthier, they just need to build on it in their own way.  After all, there’s no place like home.

Check out these RD bloggers!

Janet Helm, Nutrition Unplugged:  Helping American Eat Right!
Regan Jones,  The Professional Palate:  National Nutrition Month — Time for Show, Not Tell
Julie Upton, Katherine Brooking, Appetite for Health: Color Your Diet Healthy
Tracy Owens, Triangle Nutrition Therapy:  National Nutrition Month
Karman Meyer, Nutrition Adventures:  Color Your Plate
Rebecca Subbiah, Chow & Chatter:  Add Color to Your Plate!
Sarah-Jane Bedwell, Nashville’s Nutrition Expert: Color Yourself Healthier
Lyn Turton, Caledonia Nutrition: National Nutrition Month – Eat With Color
Janet Helm, Nutrition Unplugged:  It’s National Nutrition Month – Eat Right With Color
Emma Stirling, The Scoop on Nutrition:  Hop on the Hemp Wagon for National Nutrition Month
Chere Bork, Taste Life:  Five Ways to Eat the New USDA Science Guidelines
Bonnie Tandy LeBlang, Bite of the Best: National Nutrition Month – Registered Dietitian Day
Janel Ovrut, Eat Well With Janel:  National Nutrition Month – Top Foods You’re Not Eating 
Jessie Claire, Good and Good For You:  Nutrition is all About Food 
Rima Kleiner: Celebrating Food 
Rachel Begun, The Gluten Free RD:  National Nutrition Month – Eat Right With Color! 
Liz Weiss, Janice Bissex, Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen: Celebrate National Nutrition Month by Eating a Rainbow 
Victoria Shanta Retelny, Living Well Communications:  Celebrate March by Eating Right 
Elana Natker, A Sprinkle of Sage: What’s Your Nutrition Resolution? 
Carolyn O’Neil, Dish on Dieting: Baby You Can Drive My Car…To the Healthiest Menus 
Elizabeth Rahavi, IFIC’s Food Insight:  Eat Right With a Colorful Plate 
Jill Castle, Just the Right Byte: What Will It Take to Get America’s Kids to Eat Right? 
Sheila Viswanathan, The Lazy Dietitian: Happy Registered Dietitian Day 
Brittany Glasset, Nutrition in a Nutshell: National Nutrition Month – Make a Rainbow on Your Plate

It can be frustrating watching a loved one make choices that don’t support their health and well being.  From counseling people over the years, I understand that no one can make anyone do anything they don’t want to — and that includes taking care of their health.  My guest post over at Simple Marriage, discusses positive ways to help your spouse (or any loved one) make positive choices.   I hope you’ll check it out!

I was in the downward dog position when I realized what was happening. I was actually enjoying yoga. Then it occurred to me that this was the third time that week I was following along the DVD tape. Not only was it pleasant, but I was fitting it into it into my everyday life without much of a fuss.

After 5 years of starting, stopping and starting again, I was thrilled to have made the “mental shift” that makes lasting behavior change possible.

As this year comes to a close, you probably are looking to add some healthy behaviors to your life. But how do you get to that place where you know the behavior is locked in for good? You first have to change how you change.

1. Start tiny: Five years ago after finally deciding to try yoga, my husband and I signed up for 2-weeks of unlimited classes at Yoga Works in Los Angeles. The only time we both could go was 6:30am — and all of the classes were an hour and a half. Needless to say, this intense program turned me off to yoga for some time (and they were beginner classes!).

But I clearly wasn’t ready to go from doing nothing to daily, hour and a half yoga classes. Now I understand that starting small, and building on from there, lets the desirable behavior evolve into something that works for my life. It wasn’t until I tried yoga at home for 15 minutes a day, that the habit started to take root.

2. Keep trying until you get it right: “Self efficacy,” the strong belief people have in their ability to obtain a goal, is a term often used by health professionals. Because people trying to adopt a new behavior don’t have much confidence in their ability (yet) they tend to lack self efficacy. So when they hit a roadblock, they easily give up saying, “I’m just not good at this.”

Knowing this can help you a great deal. Instead of giving up, do what someone with self efficacy would do: change strategies. And keep trying and adjusting until you see some progress. And then tweak it some more. This process of trial and error — and getting better at the desired behavior — will do wonders for your self efficacy.

3. Check your outlook: One of the reasons yoga has been difficult for me is because I was always telling myself I “should” do it. I’ve never been flexible but understood the important health benefits of flexibility. I also knew that yoga would help calm my over-active mind. Everywhere I turned someone new was telling me “you should do yoga.”

But the “shoulds” rarely motivate anyone to do anything. It wasn’t until I found my own reasons for doing yoga that I actively looked for ways to include it in my routine. You can get to this place early in the process by asking yourself what you want get out of the new behavior. As you work on making the behavior a habit, focus on how it improves the quality of your life.

4. Watch out for unrealistic expectations: In the late nineties researchers asked a group of obese women averaging 217 pounds their goal weights – separating them into categories such as “dream weight” and “disappointed weight.” Most women’s goal weight was a 69- pound loss, getting down to 148 pounds. After 48 weeks of treatment, almost 50 percent didn’t even reach their “disappointed weight” and lost 35 pounds (getting down to 182 pounds).

Psychologists call unrealistic expectations for change “false hope syndrome”– and it’s a key reason people throw in the towel. But here’s the kicker: no one knows for sure where their new endeavors will take them. By stating it all up front, you kill the chance of finding your own way. The way that allows for the crucial “mental shift” that locks in the new habit for good.

If any of your new goals include making healthy changes for you and your family, I hope you’ll stay tuned in to Raise Healthy Eaters in the New Year. I’ve got a lot coming in 2010 that I’ll let you know about soon.

What are some healthy changes you’d like to make in the New Year?

Like what you see? Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters

References
Foster GD, Wadden TA, Vogt RA, Brewer G. What is a reasonable weight loss? Patients’ expectations and evaluations of obesity treatment outcomes. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1997;65:79-85.

If you haven’t completed our survey yet please do. It takes less than a minute and I’m loving all the feedback I’m getting!

Thanksgiving is over and the holidays have officially begun.  It’s frenzy time.  And tradition tells us that this is a time when people throw caution to the wind in anticipation of New Years’ resolutions.

When you think about it, it’s really not that long until the holidays are over.  I got out the calendar and counted 35 days in total.  How much harm can someone do in 35 days?

With this in mind, I’m kicking off the season with my top 5 ways to avoid holiday weight gain:

1. Don’t buy into it.  I think the number the holidays do on weight gain is exaggerated.  A few years ago I was pitching a story to a magazine and actually looked up that 7-pound-weight-gain-during-the-holidays rumor.  I was surprised to find the average weight gain from Thanksgiving to New Year’s to be just under a pound. 
 
All this talk about over-indulging, and starting the New Year virtuous, makes overeating as contagious as the flu.  In fact, a 2002 study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology found that people who anticipated going on a diet ate more than those who didn’t. 

So don’t buy into it.  Enjoy the traditional food that’s around during the holidays but break the tradition of overeating.

2. Don’t graze, eat meals.  Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating, conducts super-interesting research on why people eat more than they think they do.  His research finds that the average person has already eaten 90% of their daily calorie needs before sitting down to their holiday meal.

How is this possible? It’s all the grazing that’s done before the meal.  A little bit of this.  A lot of that.  More picking.  A little more picking. 

So instead of grazing, get a small plate and pick your favorite appetizers, sit down and enjoy every bite.  Remind yourself that you need just enough to hold you over (but not to spoil your appetite) until the main meal is served.

3. Be active. There really is no better time to be active than during the holidays.  The weather is nice (well, most places) and the gyms are free of crowds.  Before kids, I always signed up for a walk/run in late December/early January.  I plan to do it this year and ask some friends to join me.  This way, I can run ahead of time, use exercise as a stress reliever, and spend some much-needed time with friends.

Use exercise to feel good all season long.  Michelle Segar says it perfectly in this article on More.com. 

4. Practice a new way of eating.  I talk a lot on this site about eating intuitively – getting in touch with hunger cues and stopping when comfortably full.  We can learn a lot from our children when it comes to eating just the right the amount of food our bodies need.  And there’s no better time to practice an intuitive eating style than the holidays because most people aren’t dieting or trying to be “good.” 

So experiment with eating your favorite indulgent type foods, enjoy them without judgment and stop when you’re satisfied.  The key is reminding yourself that you can have more later in the day, tomorrow or the following day.  The same way people tend to eat more in anticipation of a diet, they actually eat less when they know they can have more if they want to.

In the book I’m always recommended to moms, Intuitive Eating, the authors say that their clients naturally fall into a diet that’s 90% nutritious and 10% fun foods.  Maybe it’s because they no longer need an excuse (holidays, sick, vacation, stress etc) to over eat foods they enjoy.

For mindblowing research on how dieting affects weight, see Evelyn Tribole’s 411 website.

5. Cut back.  The stress of the holidays makes matter worse.  Families aren’t eating together, food is grabbed in a hurry and many parents stay up late doing more stuff.  Ask yourself if you really need to do everything this year.  Maybe it’s time to cut back, be choosy about how you spend your time and focus more on enjoying the season. 

Any thoughts?  Got additional tips about getting through the season?

Like what you see? Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters

References

Urbszat D, Herman CP, Polivy J. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we diet: effects of anticipated deprivation on food intake in restrained and unrestrained eaters. J Abnormal Psychol. 2002 May; 111(2): 396-401.

Roberts SB, Mayer J. Holiday weight gain: fact or fiction? Nutr Rev. 2000 Dec’58(12):378-9.

As a mom, you don’t have to pay a lot of money for weight management advice. In fact, the best diet coaches just happen to be the same little ones running around your house.

Here are 3 things your kids can teach you about managing your weight:

1. Eat what you need: Young children are masters at regulating their food intake by getting exactly what they need. If kids graze on snacks all afternoon, for example, you can bet that they will barely touch their dinner.

Most adults have completely lost touch with their hunger and satiety cues. If this is you, make a point to tune in to how you feel at mealtime. Ask yourself if food is really what you need when you eat out of stress or boredom. Instead, eat when you are hungry and stop when satisfied. If you keep practicing, you’ll get better and better at it.

2. Enjoy life to the fullest: Young children need to be reminded to eat because they are so enthralled with life. Unfortunately, moms have so many responsibilities that they often forget what makes them feel alive. And when this happens, food can take on greater importance.

So make time for a hobby you love, call a friend to go out or reconnect with your spouse. Get back in touch with what you love about life and watch your desire to eat diminish.

3. Make physical activity fun: If you ever watch toddlers run and giggle you know how much enjoyment little ones get from being active. In fact, they hate to sit around when they could be moving. And they’re not picky about the “where” and “how” of physical activity.

Moms, on the other hand, feel like exercise is just another thing they have to get done. Instead of thinking of exercise in this way, look for pleasurable ways to be active. For example, turn on music at home and dance with your kids, chase them at the park and take time to walk and enjoy the view. See this article for more ideas.

The same things that can irritate you about your kids — picking at their meals, reminding them to eat and being active night and day — are the same things that can help you maintain a healthy weight. Not only can you learn from your kids, but you can remind yourself that you were like this when you were a child. And it might just be time to get some of the old you back.

Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters for more mom-centered health tips.

Tuesday morning I went to the DMV to renew an expired license. While inching my way through the hour-long line it dawned on me that I might have to take a new license picture. The panic set in because I didn’t have a stitch of makeup on. When I made it to the front I was informed of the bad news.

I immediately made a b-line to the bathroom to apply some lipstick and mess with my hair. After my number was called (yes, more waiting) I was second in line to another woman. After her picture was taken the DMV employee looked at the screen and said, “Do you EVER take a bad picture?” When she took my picture she made a point to tell me to smile. After glancing at it she said, “Everyone looks better with a smile.”

I was mad at myself. Not because I’ll have to hide my license from everyone I know but because I’m still doing this stuff – putting off important tasks and basically being disorganized. It got me thinking about something I always come back to: Do I want my kids to follow in my footsteps? When they are adults will they be at the DMV renewing an expired license? Or worse?

What’s your weakness?
Last week I wrote about guilt-free ways to become a more positive food role model. If you struggle with eating well, managing your weight or preparing food you may feel the same way I felt after leaving the DMV. You don’t want your kids to acquire the same struggles but how do you change?

I feel like we spend so much of our lives tripping over our weaknesses, that we delay getting to the juicy part of living. It seems every time I’m almost there something holds me back, like wasting time at the DMV, losing my keys or searching the house for that important document.

Oprah talks about this all the time. It’s about stepping outside of yourself, thinking about what you really want and breaking the cycle.

A different outlook
When I stop beating myself up for a moment I realize that I’ve already made some changes. I sort of have a file system at home and do know where some things are. And compared to 10 years ago, I’m much better (I have a good story about my car getting impounded).

I know that guilting myself into making a temporary change won’t work so I remind myself to change my outlook instead. I acknowledge how more smoothly my daily life is when I’m organized and take the time to do time-consuming tasks. And I believe my family benefits as well.

So instead of “shoulding” yourself to change consider looking at the problem from a different angle. What are the benefits of changing? If you’ve been a chronic dieter how will you feel to finally be free of the constraints? If you don’t know how to cook think how gratifying it will be to prepare and enjoy meals for your family.

Whatever it is you’ve been struggling with find some reasons you want to conquer it – and decide those reasons for yourself and not because it’s something your doctor, spouse or even I want you to do.

How to change
Of course part of the problem with change is wanting for it to happen overnight. The old me would’ve run home from the DMV, gone through the mail, bought fancy organizing equipment and vowed never to do something like this again. But then 2 weeks later the mail would be piled up and I’d be back at square one.

I recently attended a class that reminded me of the most effective way to change. It’s called “continuous improvement” and it’s not about making a dramatic change. Instead, it’s about doing small, everyday things that eventually lead to big results. But the key is to make the changes consistently, not chaotically. The secret is to always be on the lookout for the little things you can do to get to your goal.

So, I’m looking for pockets of time at home to put away stuff and go through the mail. I even bought a (cheap) organizer to write important dates down. And every time I look at my license I’ll be reminded of the consequences of living a disorganized life.

This site will help you make small changes in the area of food, weight management and nutrition. If there’s something you need from me, or would like to see, let me know. From my experience, conquering lifelong problems is extremely liberating. And knowing your kids have escaped from the same struggle is the best reward.

Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters to get more articles on how to take better care of yourself.

Most parents know that when it comes to healthy eating habits, they act as role models for their children. But the messages targeted to parents are usually doused in guilt – “you had better eat healthy – your kids are watching you!”

The last thing any parent needs is more guilt. And furthermore, guilt does a poor job of motivating, inspiring and changing behavior for the long term. As a matter of fact, it’s pretty useless.

So drop the guilt and consider a different way of looking at – and becoming – a more positive role model for your kids.

Take a walk down memory lane: I’m always surprised when my overweight clients don’t understand the real reasons they overeat. After some digging, I usually find their childhood to be a contributing factor. After all, most food learning occurs the first 5 years of life.

So think about how your relationship with food came about. How and what did your parents feed you? Were they controlling or permissive or something in between? Did they make you clean your plate? Did they make eating vegetables seem like punishment and eating sweets the best reward? Did they overly restrict sweets or fatty foods? And if you were overweight, did they try to encourage to diet and eat less?

These questions are important because the answers give you insight into what has shaped your relationship with food. Even though you’re leading your children down a different path, if you continue to struggle with food or weight, they will catch on.

The best way to conquer your issues is to understand where they came from, let go of them and begin a new way of looking at food.

2. See food through the eyes of a child: While changing your outlook you’ll want to take lessons from young children. Babies are born a clean slate – they don’t have food baggage. They eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. They don’t see food as good or bad unless they are told or shown it is good or bad. If they snack before dinner they won’t eat dinner (what adult does that?). They are masters at regulating food without counting calories or reminding themselves what they “should” eat.

So don’t diet or “should” yourself into eating healthy. Instead, dust off those hunger and satiety signals that you were born with and start listening to them again. Ask yourself if you’re really hungry before eating and when you do eat stop when your body tells you you’re satisfied and comfortably full.

3. Make feeding yourself a priority: When my daughter started solids I put all my energy into what she ate. Then one day, while picking at her tasty spinach and mushroom omelet, I realized what was going on. I was making feeding her a priority over feeding myself (and my husband – I always seem to forget about him). Before she was born, I’d buy the minimum amount of groceries, rotate the same 4 meals and rarely experimented with new foods.

I knew that a new, fierce love was behind my motivation to provide my daughter with tasty and nutritious food. So I used that love as a catalyst to take better care of myself.

So use love, not guilt, as motivation to take care of you. If you feed yourself well, taking the time to prepare plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, then your child will grow up to be someone who makes feeding herself a priority.

4. Don’t try to be perfect: A friend was just telling me how her parents kept sweets and candy out of the house. She said that she and her siblings would take their weekly allowance and go buy sweets and candy. Her parents provided plenty of healthy food but forgot how to teach their kids how to eat the not-so-healthy foods.

Eating is not just about nutrition it’s also about enjoyment. Some foods provide pleasure without much nutrition. So show your children that you can enjoy items like ice cream, sweets and fried foods without guilt trips or overeating. And if you can’t do that quite yet, take some time to work on why you can’t. One of the books I recommend to help you come to peace with food is Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works

This takes away the pressure of eating perfectly for your children. They need a role model for how to eat all types of foods so when they are on their own someday they can eat with confidence.

The gift of health

Instead of scrutinizing yourself for missing the mark, remember that you’ve been given a gift. Your children are here to teach you how to be better – and that includes eating well and being active. By working to prevent them from creating bad habits, you end up saving yourself in the process.

Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters to get more tips on how to be a better role model for your kids.