3 Health & Nutrition lessons you’ll want to teach your kids this summer
Summer vacation is coming up so fast and while I’m excited for summer, I kind of have a love/hate relationship with summer. Obviously, it’s so much fun but, how am I supposed to get everything I need to do done with my kids at home? Bahaha! One thing that helps me stay on track with my life and health over the summer is getting my kids more involved with their food and nutrition. I teach (or re-teach) my kids these three health and nutrition lessons every summer so that we all have a happy, healthy and fun break!
I know summer isn’t a time for “lessons” and “learning,” and your kids aren’t going to want to do anything that feels like schoolwork. This is why I’m going to show you how to easily teach your kids these important truths about nutrition.
There’s no need to sit the kids down and have them take notes while you give a great lecture; instead, I want you to practice talking to your kids about nutrition daily. The great thing is that opportunities arise to teach about health and nutrition multiple times a day!
Anytime you go to prepare food for your kids, you have the chance to teach them about making healthy choices! Plus, more is caught than taught, so if you’re living a healthy life and showing your kids by example what healthy living looks like, then they’re going to catch on to a lot more than you realize!
Here are the three lessons you can sprinkle into your meal times, snack times and in between to set your kids up for nutritional success this summer!
Lesson 1: Food and nutrition is a give-and-take relationship
One of the biggest reasons that I want to use the summer break to teach my kids about nutrition is that I want them to learn about nutrition while they’re young. I want to set a solid foundation for them before they grow up and are on their own. Most of us didn’t have that foundation when we left the home and we had to figure it out on our own. I don’t want that for my kids.
I also have two daughters, and I especially want to teach them that food isn’t bad. That they don’t have to “diet” to be beautiful. That they don’t have to restrict food or “be good” with their food choices to be skinny or accepted. I want them to have a very healthy relationship with food.
This is why I teach my kids that the effort you put into your food and nutrition is what you get out of it.
Nutrition isn’t about looking a certain way or being a specific size. It’s about fueling your body to do all of the amazing things you want to do!
My kids are athletes, so they ask a lot of their bodies. This means that they need to know how to fuel their bodies for any situation! Nutrition isn’t just for athletic kids, every kid needs to know how to eat well! How your kids eat affects how they learn, how they keep up with their friends when they’re playing, it prevents future disease, and so much more. All kids deserve a healthy childhood!
So, back to lesson one: food is a give-and-take relationship. When you give your body good food, it can produce good results!
Let’s dive into what “good food” is. I don’t want you telling your kids that they should only eat steamed veggies and grilled chicken if they want to be healthy. Because no kid, let alone an adult, wants to eat like that Instead, I want you to teach your kids about how different foods fuel their bodies!
Unless your kids have specific health issues, they should eat a variety of protein, fat and carbs. Kids don’t need to restrict any foods or food groups; instead, they need to have healthy options available to them so that they can make healthy choices!
One area that moms worry about for kids is carbs. Can I get a “YUP” in the comments if you have a carb-o-holic at home? I swear there’s a minimum of one in every family! Carbs are super important for kids. Carbs are the body’s first form of energy and kids need a lot because they burn a lot! Instead of thinking you need to cut your kids’ carbs because they only eat carbs, lean into it! Provide your kids with healthy carb options!
I like to have lots of fresh fruits and veggies around so that my kids can go to those options before they grab fruit snacks, crackers or candy. Another great way to make sure your kids are getting great carbs is to swap out some of your staples for healthier versions.
For example, I always buy Dave’s Killer white bread instead of over-processed bread, that way when my kids want a sandwich or toast I know they’re getting something with a little protein and fiber and that it’s going to keep them full longer.
Kids and adults struggle to get enough protein in their diets, so I like to make sure that I serve my kids protein at every meal and I make sure the house is stocked with quick and easy protein snacks! Deli meat is a great thing to have on hand because it’s so versatile. I also keep different cheese options stocked in my fridge (BabyBell cheese, Laughing Cow cheese and string cheese are all protein-packed, fun options!)
Fat is another nutrient that people think kids need to limit (usually because we were taught that fat was bad) but it’s crucial for kids’ development and hormone health. Instead of restricting fat for your kids, try to help them choose good fats!
Mama, you are in control of the food that comes into your home, make sure that, that food is serving your family! It may take time for your kids to start reaching for apples and peanut butter instead of fruit snacks, but that’s ok! Slowly help them change their habits and their perspective on food so that it helps them in their personal goals!
Lesson 2: Take ownership of your nutrition
This is one of my favorite nutritional lessons for kids because it makes my life so much easier! Your kids need you to do a lot of things for them, but as they get older, they can take on a little more ownership of their nutrition.
Depending on the age of your kids, they can help a lot with meal planning, prepping, cooking and cleanup! Not only will this free up so much of your time, but it’s a life skill that too many kids leave the house not having. If you’re a mama who likes things done a certain way, you might have to breathe through this process, but I promise it’s going to be so good for your whole family.
Even your toddlers can start taking ownership of their nutritional choices! One of my favorite tools for young kids is the snack bucket. I used to use this all the time when my kids were little because toddlers seem to always be eating!
Instead of me getting up and getting them a snack every time they asked, I made up a snack bucket full of fruits, veggies, protein and a few fun snacks that my kids could choose from each day. They could eat anything in their snack bucket when they got hungry. And because I prepped the bucket I knew that they would be getting healthy foods but they got some autonomy to choose for themselves which snacks they wanted. And toddlers love getting to make decisions!
One of my least favorite questions as a mama is, “What’s for dinner?” When my kids were in grade school I started having them help me meal plan.
I would ask each of my kids to choose one dinner a week. It was a great tool because not only did it save me from overthinking what to cook each night, but I knew that there was going to be at least one meal every week, that my kids would eat! If you have picky eaters, this is a great way to get them involved! Plus, if you make a little extra, you can have the kiddo who picked the meal eat the leftovers when they refuse to eat something else later in the week!
Finally, with older kids, I like to have them prepare one meal a week! The great thing about this is that if you start when they’re young with choosing a meal, the natural next step is preparing it! You can have your pre-teens and teenagers do as much of the meal planning and prep as you want. I like to have them choose the meal, shop for the ingredients and prepare the meal. This is such a great way to set them up for when they move out of the house!
When I went to college I had no idea how to cook and had to live off ramen, but that’s not going to happen to my kids! They’ll go to school knowing how to read a recipe, how to shop for groceries, how to cook and they’ll even have a handful of go-to meals. They might complain now, but it’s so worth them having this skill set!
There are so many more ways you can involve your kids in preparing meals, and I don’t have time to get into all of them now, but I have an incredible downloadable with more ideas that I’m giving away in my free Facebook group, Busy Mom Simple Nutrition. Plus, I’m including my list of healthy snack ideas for you to start filling your snack buckets!
Lesson 3: How to help mom fill her cup
Mental health is just as important as physical health and like I’ve already said, summer can add another layer of stress for moms, so I want you to take some time to talk to your kids about how to help you too.
Mamas sacrifice a lot to take care of their families, but we all know, you can’t pour from an empty cup. You need to teach your kids how to help refill your cup when it’s low.
This might be the one lesson that you do need to have your kids sit down and really listen to, but it’s amazing how well they’ll pick this up even if you just mention it in passing.
One of the most effective ways to teach this lesson is to physically show your kids what it looks like to pour from an empty cup so that they understand the metaphor.
The next part is probably going to be the hardest. Your kids might ask, “Mom, what can I do to help you fill your cup up?” A lot of us don’t take the time to understand what we need to feel whole or happy, but I want that to be different for you!
You need to understand yourself and your needs well enough to know how to ask your family for help!
A lot of times, mamas think that filling her cup needs to be something big or extravagant, but it’s usually the little things that help the most. Here are a few ideas that might fill your cup and that are easy for kids to help with.
Doing chores without being asked. (Or at least doing it the first time you ask.)
Trying not to fight.
Not bothering you during your morning routine.
Snuggling
Helping to make dinner
Getting a snack for themselves
Going outside to play so you can have a few quiet minutes
Picking up their things
Putting away their laundry
These small things may not feel very “self-carey” but Mama, you know, that having one little task taken off your plate can make a huge difference in your day.
I want to encourage you not to just come up with your list, but to have your kids make one for themselves too! That way when they’re struggling the rest of the family has ways to help pour into them too.
Understanding and knowing yourself on a deep level like this can empower the whole family. And it’s worth the time to sit down with your kids and come up with your lists so that you can both help each other out when you’re running low.
I really hope that these tips and lessons help you and your kiddos have a healthy and fun summer. I hope that you get to enjoy the extra time with your kids instead of feeling stressed about how to do it all!
If you don’t feel like you can teach your kids about nutrition and healthy living because you’re feeling lost yourself, then let’s talk! Inside the Macros Made Easy program, I help busy mamas lose weight and put themselves first without guilt or shame! And like I said before, if you model a healthy life you’re kids will probably catch on and live a healthier life too. Schedule a free discovery call to start your family’s health journey!
