Five Strategies for Healthy Summer Habits

Hello everyone. this is Monica Reinl and you are listening to the Nutrition Diva'sQuick and Dirty Tips for eating well and feeling fabulous. And we're talking about kids today and how to keep their diet healthy during the summer, but grown upps are going to benefit just as much for these tips School's out for the summer and the kids are finally free to get outside and play That, plus the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, should make summer the healthiest time of year for kids The reality, however, is more disturbing According to a new survey done by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the YMCA The amount of time that kids spend watching TV or playing video games actually increases in the summer. Two thirds of school agge kids spend three or more hours a day in front of a screen when school is out. Now, kids also spend a bit more time engaged in sports or other physical activities during the summer than they do during the school year Fewer than half of them are getting even an hour of exercise each day And as much as we like to criticize those school lunch programs, they may actually be more nutritious than what kids eat at home during the summer. Most schools, for example, have now prohibited the sale of sugar sweetened beverages on school property Is the same true at your house Unfortunately, excessive summer weight gain among school kids is now a widespread trend And it's particularly common in kids who are already overweight. But it's not too late to reverse this trend And today I have five ways for you to head off summer weight gain in kids Tip number one Stay on a schedule Kids often enjoy staying up a bit later and sleeping in a little in the mornings in the summer And those longer days may have you pushing dinner time a bit later. All of that is fine, but do try to keep meal times and bedtimes somewhat consistent. This really helps cut down on unplanned snacking and poorly planned meals And for more, see my episode on the power of planning Tip number two, limit screen time The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends no more than two hours of screen time a day. and that includes TV, movies, video games, computer, and tablet time. Tip number three Seek out more active recreation. Going to a ball game or a drive in movie is a fun summer treat Al also look for opportunities for more active fun. Sign the kids up for a summer recc league. Take them kayaking or canoeing or hiking. Why not set up a volleyball or a badminten net in the backyard You could train for and run a five K together, and you get bonus points if you do one that raises money for a good cause Ride your bikes over to the frozen yogurt place after dinner instead of driving and make sure everyone wears their helmet Organized recreational activities can also help keep kids occupied in the summer because boredom is a major factor in overeating in both kids and adults. Tip number four, Get them more involved with healthy foods One of my favorite ways to get kids interested in nutrition and healthy eating is to introduce them to gardening and cooking, which kids generally really enjoy You can give them a little corner of your yard to farm or participate in a community garden, or even just go to the farmer's market together on the weekends And with the extra time that they have now that they're out of school Ask your older kids to take a more active role in meal planning and preparation. Teach them how to make this spacho in the blender. Or how to make a homemade vinaigrette that's actually worthy of those garden fresh greens how to puree fresh fruit and make frozen fruit pops for dessert I have a lot more resources on cooking and gardening with kids in my episode number forty two, which was titled kids to eat healthier. And if you go to our website at nutritiondiva. quick and dirty tips. com, you'll also find a video that shows you just how easy it is to make the perfect homemade vinagrette And now tip number five for heading off unwanted summer weight gain Make the healthy choice, the easy choice Kids often have more unsupervised time on their hands in the summer, and I guarantee if the cupboards and the fridge are full of sweets and treats and snacks, that is what they're going to be eating. I suggest you strictly limit the amount of junk food and sweetened drinks you keep in the house and make sure there are plenty of healthy options easily accessible Place bags of baby carrots, grape tomatoes and other pre wasashed raw veggies right at eye level in the fridge, along with some string cheese and some hummus. of fruit on the counter And even if they're going to be home for lunch, it can be helpful to help them pack a lunch in the morning the way they would for school so that it's ready and easy to grab when they do get hungry Now the great thing about all of these strategies is that they don't just help the kids. Everybody wins when you make your schedule and your environment more conducive to healthy choices How do you keep your kids healthy in the summer? Head on over to the Nutrition Diva Facebook page and share your tips and your challenges Thanks for listening this week, and be sure to eat something good for me.