This post was sponsored by the National 4-H Council as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Now that all three of my children are in sports and activities our lives are extra busy. Somedays I feel like I am just driving back and forth to their destinations (aka mom carpool). Even though we are busy, one thing our family always does is share a healthy meal together every evening. I enjoy that time to reconnect with the family, eat delicious food and develop great habits.
Not every household is fortunate to have family dinner every night with 16 million children living in households that are food insecure, meaning they don’t have consistent access to food throughout the year. 4-H Food Smart Families is addressing this issue through educating families how to plan, shop and prepare healthy meals on a budget.
Through this program, 4-H has already trained 400 “Teens as Teachers” to empower their peers to establish life-long healthy habits and serve as role models. Since 2011, UnitedHealthcare and 4-H have partnered to share healthy living programs to 340,000+ youth and their families in 14 states. My home state of Nebraska was one of their pilot states for this program in 2014. Their goal is to be in 75% of states across the U.S. by 2020.
I think this is a fantastic program for our youth and there have already been positive changes in youth behavior as a result of 4‑H Food Smart families:
- 90% of youth participants now think being active is fun and good for fitness
- 89% now encourage their families to eat meals together
- 87% said their families have purchased healthier foods
- 86% now eat fruit for a snack over unhealthier options
Check out this quick video to watch the 4-H Food Smart Families program in action:
My 4-H Experience:
I was a member of 4-H in elementary school and I learned very early how food was produced and meat was raised. Even though I was raised in the city, being involved in 4-H helped me learn more about agriculture and farming.
I was excited to plant a garden and learn about food (and eat it, of course). There’s nothing quite like a tomato fresh picked and ripened by the sun or fresh peaches. Through 4-H, I also learned first aid, knot tying, cow identification, how to shear a sheep and much more. It was really a fantastic experience that shaped who I am today.
One highlight of my 4-H experience was showing pigs. My grandparents owned a farm, so I was able to purchase pigs to raise and show. I did all the accounting for feed, visited my pigs regularly and groomed them before the shows. This is me with my award winning pig affectionally named ‘Spot’.
Now that I have kids I want to share the basics of healthy living and skills I learned as a 4-H member. Our lives are busy, but we make learning healthy habits a priority.
How to encourage healthy eating and habits for kids:
Have washed fruit and veggies ready – To encourage healthy eating, I make sure produce is easy to grab and enjoy. I wash berries and grapes and cut up broccolli and melons so kids can grab a healthy snack quickly when hunger strikes.
Play outside for 30 minutes a day – Keeping kids active is so important! Turn off electronics and head outdoors for some unstructured play time. Let kids run, jump, swing and be active for at least 30 minutes every day.
Plant a garden together – You don’t have to have a large plot of land to garden. You can plant delicious vegetables or herbs in container pots. Have your children help plant, water and care for the plants. I know my kids get excited to see their plants grow and be able to eat the fruits of their labor.
Eat one meal together as a family – Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, make it a priority to eat one meal together as a family (without electronics or TV). This develops mindful eating and gives your family a chance to reconnect.
Encourage kids to do simple tasks in the kitchen – I involve my children as much as possible in the kitchen. There are many things they can do, like wash produce, stir mixes or help measure ingredients. My daughter loves putting together salad kits for the family dinners.
How do you encourage your kids to stay healthy?
Be sure to visit 4-H Food Smart Families to learn more about their healthy living program and how to get involved.
You can also follow 4-H on their social media pages:
- 4-H on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4-h
- 4-H on Twitter: https://twitter.com/4H
- 4-H on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/national4h/
- 4-H on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/national4H
Please share your 4-H experience in a comment!
