Your children look to you to help set examples for how they should act and behave. If they see you making your health a priority—by eating nutritious foods, fitting in exercise, and protecting your mental health—they’re more likely to do so, too.
Instilling good habits in kids doesn’t have to be another parental chore. It can be a fun way to connect as a family. The payoff: Those wellness habits may stay with your child, increasing their chances of enjoying a long, active life.
Steps for building good habits as a family
These actions can help your family make changes that benefit physical and mental health:
Let kids help with meals
Kids need a lot of vitamins and nutrients for their growing bodies. But they can also be picky about foods that are good for them, like vegetables. [i]
These steps can help expand your child’s tastes and ensure they eat nutritious foods:
· Take your child grocery shopping. Let them pick out a new-to-them veggie, fruit, or food they want to try.
· Look up recipes online with your child. Help them make a grocery list, shop for the items, and prepare the recipe; try all this in the Safeway app!
Be active as a family
An estimated 1 in 4 children don’t get 60 minutes of physical activity every day.[ii] That’s the minimal amount recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).[iii] Physical activity is good for children and adults.[iv]
In summary: Help your family get strong together
Changing behaviors and developing wellness habits takes time. To help your family get on board, you might start by setting small goals and focusing on a few smaller changes each month. Your children are more likely to be excited and engaged in these changes when you model that enthusiasm too. You won’t just be making wellness changes that can last a lifetime, you’ll be making great memories as a family, too.
Now that you know more about building good habits as a family, you may be curious about how Safeway’s Sincerely Health tools in the Safeway app can help, it offers science-backed insights and grocery savings to support your wellness journey. Track your fitness, get personalized nutrition insights, manage prescriptions, and earn grocery coupons for meeting activity goals!
You can start by downloading the Safeway app. You’ll save $10 on groceries* for creating an account. Next, create a personalized Sincerely Health nutrition profile to receive 1,000 points*.
Your nutrition profile allows you to:
● Set specific nutrition goals.
- Collect healthy points for daily activities, reaching your goals, making smart food choices, and more. Redeem them for grocery coupons!
