How to Encourage Your Family's Healthy Eatting Habits

Eating as a family is a good way to spend time together, and it also gives you a chance to make sure your teen or tween has healthy meals. Try these tips to bring everyone together for meals.

Get your kids involved. Give your teen a say in what's for dinner and she'll look forward to eating it. Talk about what you're planning for meals during the week and ask her for suggestions. She can search online for a recipe using ingredients you have on hand or for another way to prepare a favorite dish. Let your teen help you cook or even prepare meals on her own. Guide her with ideas for serving balance meals that include vegetables and protein such as beef, pork, chicken, or beans. Show her examples of whole grains such as rice, breads, and pasta.

Have everyone list their favorite meals or dishes. Place them on separate pieces of paper in a bowl and draw one for a "mystery meal". Some families work favorite meals into their weekly menu.

For fun, pick a theme. Choose a monthly or weekly theme then work together to plan meals around it. For a Hawaiian luau, top a pork roast with pineapple sliced and have a tropical fruit salad with bananas, mangoes, and papayas for dessert. If your favorite team colors are red and yellow, offer low-fat macaroni and cheese with sliced tomatoes. Pizza is always a "fun" dish but there are many easy to make and fun to eat meals.

Have a Fajita night! Cut boneless chicken breast into chunks and sprinkle with lemon juice. Toss in diced zucchini and sliced mushrooms. Sauté in olive oil until the chicken is cooked through. Wrap in whole-wheat tortillas and spoon salsa on top. Stir-fry cauliflower pieces and sliced yellow squash, onions, and red and green bell peppers. Place in tomato or corn tortillas. Top with fresh avocado, tomato, and low-fat shredded cheese. Squeeze a lime over strips of lean beef and cook thoroughly in a skillet. Add to tortillas along with steamed brown rice, diced tomatoes, broccoli, onions, and low-fat sour cream. To add some zing to your fajitas, sprinkle them with garlic and chili powder.

Try eating together even when everybody is short on time. If you're too busy to cook, get healthy carryout foods such as salads or wraps and place them on real dishes served at the dinning table. Schedule dinner around games, practices, and work so the family can be together. Create an inviting atmosphere by playing soft music or light a candle.