1. Pick up some produce. Start eating more vegetables and putting more vegetables in front of your children. Most Americans do not get the recommended 5 servings per day, but it really isn’t that hard to incorporate more veggies into your diet. Even though they are naturally sweet, fruits pack a lot of sugar. In the other hand, vegetables have minerals and nutrients that aren’t found in fruit. So be sure to get enough of both.

Buy carrots, peel and cut them into sticks and keep them in the front of the fridge for quick snacks. Shred zucchini, carrots or sweet potatoes into the batter when making pancakes or muffins. Serve salad every night. A big mixed salad with a low calorie dressing is a simple way to get 2-3 servings in one sitting. It’s okay to let kids pick out the parts they like. Get the them into the habit of salad-eating, and eventually they will expand their tastes. try making homemade juice recipes that include vegetables and fruit.

Also, avoid passing your prejudices to your children when it comes to food preferences. If you tell them they probably won’t like the brussel sprouts, they probably won’t. If you serve them up with some regularity and no judgment, they might try them and think they’re great. Finally, don’t give up if they don’t eat a vegetable the first time you serve it. Make no fuss about it, but do serve it again soon. Children usually need to experience a food 3-4 times before they learn to like it.

2. Cut out the sweets. If you look closely, sugar in one form or another is an ingredient in nearly every processed food you can find in the grocery store. The last thing families need to do is add more sugar to an already sugary diet. Kids are given ‘treats’ more and more today, at parties, after sports practices, at school, and as part of the kid’s meals at restaurants. Teach them that dessert is a treat, and ‘treat’ means that you only have it once in a while. Dessert shouldn’t be a daily occurrence.

When you shop, check labels and compare sugar content. Look for brands that don’t use high-fructose corn syrup. Always try to buy foods that are whole, or as close to their original form as possible. For example, buy grapes instead of grape fruit snacks.

3. Get everyone moving. Find activities that the whole family can do together. This habit will promote a healthy lifestyle while improving the quality of your time together. Try putting a basketball goal in your driveway and spend 30 minutes a day shooting hoops with your kids. Play catch, go for bike rides, and take walks as a family. Teach your kids all those games you played as a child, like Capture the Flag, Tag Football, Ghost in the Graveyard, and encourage them to get neighborhood kids involved in the games for more fun. Most of all, turn off the television and video games and make sure your kids (and you) are outside being active every day.

By keeping these three ideas in mind as you shop, eat and play, you’ll find you and your family feeling healthier and having a great time.