Food & Dining

Last Updated on Monday, 01 July 2013 01:30

(NAPS)—Parents like you know kids should eat healthy and be active every day, but summer break can often make that hard. With some fun, simple tips, you can ensure summer break doesn’t mean a break in your family’s healthy habits.

Parents can help their kids power up to stay fit at any time of year.

The Problem

Without the benefit of scheduled meals, snacks and recess provided during the school day, some kids fall into a “summer slump” of unhealthy behaviors, such as spending more time indoors watching TV, playing video games, and snacking on less-healthy foods.

Childhood obesity is at its height in the summer months. In fact, studies show that kids gain weight more than twice as fast in the summer as they do during the regular school year.

This makes summer an important time for families to pledge to be active and eat healthy together.

Fun, Simple Solutions

The Network for a Healthy California (Network) is on the front lines of the battle against obesity and works to empower everyone to lead healthier, active lives. The Network has partnered with summer activity programs to launch the “Power Up Your Summer!” Challenge. The Challenge encourages kids and their families to get at least 60 minutes of active play every day and to fill half of each plate with fruits and vegetables.

What You Can Do

Try these simple ideas to help your kids beat the summer slump:

• Find safe outdoor places for kids to play, such as parks, recreation centers and pools.

• Don’t let the heat slow you down. Dancing and hide-and-seek are great indoor activities.

• Limit TV and computer time to less than two hours per day.

• Involve the whole family in reaching a goal of 60 minutes of play every day.

• Fill half your plate with summer fruits and vegetables at every meal. Choose in-season fruits and vegetables, which often cost less.

• Rethink your drink and choose water instead of sugary drinks.

• Be a good role model. Your kids are more likely to make healthy choices—if you do, too.

We all want to raise our kids to be the best they can be. Healthy habits, such as eating fruits and vegetables, drinking water and being active every day, are the building blocks to success. You can help kids see that healthy choices can be fun choices.

You can find resources, tips and healthy recipes at www.CaCham pionsForChange.net or www. Facebook.com/NetworkForA HealthyCalifornia.