Healthy Tips

To continue our talk about the importance of good nutrition and staying active, we wanted to offer you some ideas of different ways you can teach your children about healthy foods and staying fit. One of the best ways you can start this is by going to your local farmers’ market. You can introduce your child to all the different healthy foods that are in season and you can even let them pick out the ingredients for dinner that night. From my experience, when your child is involved in the dinner preparations, they are more likely to eat the meal. It also makes them feel pretty good about themselves when they are part of the process.

If you are not able to go to a farmers’ market, and there is a day you have extra patience, then let your child tag along with you at the grocery store. Give them a picture list of things that you are going to get that day and have them help you. Make sure you point out which foods are fruit, vegetables, grains and so on and explain to them that these healthy foods help them grow and stay strong.

Along with the farmers’ market and the grocery store, you can introduce your child to books that talk about food. There are so many fun children’s books out there such as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, If you Give a Pig a Pancake or The Berenstein Bears and Too Much Junk Food that can lead to discussions about which foods are good for you and which are not.

Here is a link (http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Content.aspx?id=752),  for a list of more books about health and nutrition, if you would like to go to your local library and check them out. You could even check out a fun cookbook while you are there.

For our local readers, we have some ideas for you to do with your child, as early as this Wednesday. 

• Go to Whole Foods Market in Franklin and enjoy its Kids Hour at 9:30 or Health Starts Here store tour at 11. Then afterwards, you can get some free yummy samples. HMMM! Here is Whole Foods’ website so you can check it out for more details and future events. http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/mcewen/store-calendar/

       Wednesday, January 25th

Kid’s Hour with Rachel Sumner

9:30a.m. Free

Award-winning children's entertainer, Rachel Sumner has performed throughout the U.S. and Europe and is well-known for her lively performances where audience participation is encouraged. Singing songs and telling stories that teach as well as entertain, she has gained fans young and old. 

Visit www.rachelsumner.com for more info

Wednesday, January 25th

Health Starts Here Starts With You! Store Tour

11:00 a.m. Free

Eat well, Have fun, Take charge. Learn all about cooking, shopping and saving for a healthy lifestyle.

Other ideas:

•  Nashville’s Farmers Market-located at 900 Rosa Parks Blvd, take a stroll through the market this weekend and pick out some healthy yummies for your whole family to enjoy. Here is the link to the site to get more details and it will also give you some healthy recipes and tips on what is in season. http://nashvillefarmersmarket.org/
• Get in the spirit of this wintery season and burn some calories at Indoor Ice Skating at A Game Sportsplex (www.agamesportcomplex.com), 215 Gothic Court, Franklin, Tn and at Centennial Sportsplex, 222 25^th Ave, N.
• Tired of sitting inside? Warm up by bowling and playing games at Jaymar Family Entertainment Center ( http://jaymarfec.com/

Remember, it doesn't have to take a lot of time or a lot of fancy meals to be healthy. You can do it. No more excuses!