A healthy life starts with healthy eating!
The Salt Lake County Health Department suggests that for your best health, when eating you should:
- Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
- Look for whole grain options whenever possible
- Drink plenty of water
- Limit sugary drinks
- Consider trying alternative protein sources (e.g., beans, legumes, nuts)
The health department currently focuses on two specific areas to improve our community’s health through balanced nutrition: a program that helps childcare facilities offer healthy choices and an initiative helping families focus on spending quality time together over a healthy meal.
The benefits of having family meals—whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner—are incredible. The simple act of sitting down together for a meal can help you and your family achieve long-lasting positive effects, including promoting family togetherness, preventing behavior problems, improving school performance, improving your family's nutrition, and preventing weight problems.
Tips to have fun with your family before, during, or after any meal:
- Cook together: family-fun recipes are a great way to have quality time with the whole family.
- Be creative: have the whole family create a table centerpiece.
- Share jobs: for example, have the children set the table.
- Mix it up: have a picnic at a park, in your backyard, or in the living room.
- Extend your mealtime: take a family walk after eating.
- Too busy? Instead of dinner, plan a family breakfast.
Increase your family meals
Most parents and children enjoy their family meals—and most want to eat together more often. So how can you make this happen?
- Plan one more family mealtime every week according to your family’s schedule.
- Enjoy tasty menus. The best meals are simple, delicious, and planned together.
- Set a special place to eat. Setting the table can help relax the mood of the evening be relieving the pressures from work and school.
- Have enjoyable conversations. These conversation can help families stay close and so much more.
- Plan for distraction-free meals. Declare mealtimes an electronic-free zone!
Ideas for healthy meals:
- Serve low-fat or skim milk
- Serve fruits and veggies at each meal
- Have kids help plan and prepare the meal
- Make ½ your grains whole grains
- Enjoy a rainbow of colors
- Nuts, seeds, and legumes are an excellent source of protein and fiber
- Use the right size dishes
- Start with smaller servings
- Encourage comfort by eating slowly
- When at a restaurant, share food or save half for later
More family meal time tips!
Targeting Obesity in Preschools and Child Care Settings (TOP Star) prevents obesity among children in childcare by helping childcare providers improve their nutrition and physical activity environments.
Childcare providers who complete the full TOP Star program receive in-depth technical assistance with a trained health department consultant who helps identify strategies for improving nutrition and physical activity in the childcare setting and shares resources to help providers meet their goals. The technical assistance is available free of charge to any childcare provider that chooses to enroll in the program.
Childcare providers who meet all program requirements can receive a TOP Star endorsement that allows them to promote and market their achievements in physical activity and nutrition.
Find our more about becoming TOP Star endorsed by contacting us at TOPStar@slco.org