Week 2
This week is a perfect opportunity to get the whole family involved in making healthy changes! These fun challenges and activities will help you teach your kids about nutrition, encourage creativity in the kitchen, and set the foundation for healthier eating habits. Let’s make this week’s mission a team effort!
Create A Family Meal Plan
FAMILY MEAL PLANNING:
Make meal planning a fun and collaborative activity for the whole family! These activities encourage creativity, teamwork, and teaches valuable skills for making healthy choices. By the end of the week, your family will have a meal plan that everyone feels proud of—and you’ll have taken another step toward healthier habits.
Meal Planning Brainstorm: Gather as a family and brainstorm favorite meals. Write them down, and then work together to make them healthier by swapping ingredients (e.g., whole-grain pasta, lean proteins, or adding more veggies).
Theme Nights: Assign a theme to each night of the week—like "Taco Tuesday" or "Stir-Fry Saturday"—and let each family member contribute ideas for meals within the theme.
Build the Weekly Menu: Use a large calendar or whiteboard to plan breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the week. Give each family member a role, such as choosing sides, snacks, or even breakfast options.
Shopping List Makers: Once the meals are planned, involve the kids in creating the grocery list. Younger children can draw pictures of the items, while older ones can write them out.
Bonus Tip: Make it even more exciting by letting your kids pick one "try something new" ingredient each week. It could be a vegetable, fruit, or grain they've never had before!
Family Nutrition Games:
Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of healthy foods and have your kids search for them in the grocery store. This game teaches them about different food groups and gets them excited about choosing nutritious foods.
Build Your Plate: Use a large poster board to create a blank plate. Have your kids cut out pictures of different foods from magazines or printouts and place them on the plate to create a balanced meal. This helps them visualize what a healthy meal looks like.
Cooking Challenge: Have a family cooking competition where each member has to create a healthy dish using a set of ingredients. This game teaches kids about cooking and encourages them to be creative with healthy foods.
Pantry Cleanout Activity:
Make cleaning out the pantry a fun activity for the whole family! Set aside some time to go through your pantry together and identify any unhealthy foods that you want to remove.
Create a "Healthy vs. Unhealthy" Game: Make two boxes labeled "Healthy" and "Unhealthy." Have your kids sort through the pantry items and place them in the appropriate box. This can help them learn about nutritious foods and make better choices in the future.
Healthy Snack Challenge: Challenge your kids to find healthier alternatives to their favorite snacks. Encourage them to look for whole grain crackers, nuts, and dried fruits instead of sugary snacks.
By involving your kids in the pantry cleanout, you're not only teaching them about healthy eating but also empowering them to make better food choices. Plus, it can be a fun way to bond as a family!