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Eating Right
By Jeffrey Crupi

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Making the right decisions when it comes to healthy eating is not an easy task for kids – or adults

In today's fast-paced world, there are nights when family dining may consist of grabbing some fast food before driving the kids to soccer practice, music lessons or whatever is on the agenda for the evening. Before you think about opting for fast food, consider the following facts:
With the average daily caloric intake between 2,000–2,500 calories, these items can easily account for approximately a quarter of your daily caloric intake. Add fries and a soda and the calories keep accumulating.

The right choices
To keep the urge to grab a convenient meal at bay, consider the teamwork approach with your family and students.

  • Ask your kids to make a healthy snack for the family at least one day a week. This will give them a sense of responsibility as they incorporate healthy options into everyday eating. Eating healthy snacks will keep blood sugar levels at an even rate and leave you feeling full.

  • Invite your classroom students to participate in healthy snacking. The children can write and/or draw what healthy snacks they'd like to eat for the week. They can then share their writing with a parent or guardian and make these healthy snacks at home. This is a great way to foster the home-school connection while promoting healthy eating.

A few extra minutes
A typical reason why we grab fast food is because of convenience. Cooking a nutritious meal for your family takes time – something we never have enough of! These tips that may help you squeeze a few extra minutes out of your day:

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Plan what you'll eat for dinner for the week and make a grocery list with all of the necessary ingredients. This will prevent you from having to shop for food during the week.

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Complete all the chopping for tomorrow's dinner the night before.

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Ask your own children to help measure the spices in the recipe. They can measure the spices during a homework break and then place them aside for when they are needed.

By working together, we can all make healthier eating choices.

Jeffrey Crupi is the owner of Peak Fitness Gym in Westport, CT. He is a certified fitness specialist with a degree from Marymount Manhattan College.