Ten Simple Ways WellSteps Creates Healthy Families

1. We use Crock Pots to cook easy, healthy meals. There are all kinds of great recipes and ideas online (just search healthy Crock Pot recipes) at sites just like this: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/.
2. We shop Farmers Markets/Food Co-Ops with our kids (check out http://www.localharvest.org to find one near you!)
3. We chop fruits and veggies as soon as we bring them home, and put them in Ziploc containers in the fridge so they are always readily available. We often put them out while dinner is being prepared so we're munching on the right stuff!
4. We prepare healthy breakfasts for kids and for ourselves so we all start our day off right with whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
5. We do not buy processed snack foods of any kind for our kids. We like fresh, whole, natural foods the best for snacks, but all snacks we give them are REAL foods (like Dr. Diehl said-if it has to have a nutrition label on it, it's probably not that nutritious!)
6. We make things like homemade whole fruit or veggie salsa, veggie stir-fry, real fruit smoothies, salads that are chock full of good vegetables and other delicious fruit and veggie treats. The more you expose kids to healthy foods, the more they will like/want them.
7. We have at least one meal each day as a family (usually dinner). Sitting down together for a healthy home cooked meal is a rarity these days but it can change the course of a family! Eat slow, talk and enjoy the meal and the people.
8. We have replaced all the sodas and artificial juices with water, low fat dairy and occasional real fruit juices.
9. We make family time more active by taking walks, riding bikes, shooting hoops, going to the park, etc. (TV, Computer and Video Game activity is VERY limited)
10. We replace/reduce fats and sugars in recipes anytime we possibly can. Here are some examples that we have found make things taste BETTER!:
• In cookie, cake, brownie, etc. recipes we reduce the amount of sugar by ¼ to ½ cup without any loss in taste.
• We also reduce the amount of oil and butter by ¼ to ½ or what it calls for, or take it out altogether and substitute with something like applesauce, yogurt, or a fruit compote like a mashed can of pears or peaches.
• For just a little sweet tooth craving, we have found that frozen chocolate chips eaten 2-3 at a time are very satisfying (or even frozen grapes, blueberries, raspberries or other sweet fruits will usually do the trick when you need a treat.)
• Experiment with substitutions! There are all kinds of ways to make a recipe healthier AND tastier!!

*A Healthy Family is worth the effort-take the time to have a better life!*