Today is National Family Day! On this day, families are encouraged to sit down at the table and enjoy a meal together. There is no one like family, and this is a time to appreciate the special people in your life.
The following are tips for building healthy habits on National Family Day.
- Share at least three meals a week: Research has shown that eating three or more meals a week together reduces the risk of teens using tobacco, alcohol, or drugs. Families who eat together also eat smaller portions, learn healthy eating habits, and are less likely to be stressed about food.
- Get children to help with meal preparation and cleanup: Family relationships tend to be better when parents engage with their children over a meal. Children learn responsibility through helping with meal prep and cleanup. They feel more like a part of the team and connect better with the people who know and love them best – their parents.
- Stay physically active as a family: Embracing healthy family-centered habits can have a positive impact on physical health. Promote activities that help you get regular exercise together as a family. This may involve sports such as kickball, games such as hopscotch or jump rope, bicycling, running, dancing, outdoor activities, or simply going for walks together. Regular exercise strengthens muscles, promotes cardiovascular health, and helps combat a sedentary lifestyle.
- Create meal plans based on your preferences: A nutritious diet plays an important role in overall health. Create meal plans based on the foods your family enjoys. Add five servings of fruits and vegetables daily and eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages. Prepare home-cooked meals together and focus on high-protein snacks. Try to “eat the rainbow,” meaning eat fruits and vegetables from each color group to get a variety of essential vitamins and other nutrients.
- Plant a garden: Growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs is an excellent activity for the entire family. It gets you outdoors for fresh air and physical activity. It helps children gain self-confidence and learn to be resourceful. Start with foods that are easy to grow or produce heavily, such as green beans, leaf lettuce, and grape tomatoes.
Take Advantage of Preventive Healthcare
Most health insurance plans cover certain preventive services at no cost to plan members. These services, which include immunizations and screenings, are usually free when delivered by a doctor or provider in your plan’s network. This applies to any plan available through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Examples of preventive healthcare services include:
- Blood pressure, cholesterol, and colorectal cancer screenings
- Immunizations for childhood diseases, such as measles, mumps, and rubella
- Shots for flu, pneumonia, shingles, tetanus, HPV, and hepatitis A and B
Preventive healthcare services can help detect issues early on and help keep your family well and healthy. Our experienced agent can help you find health insurance coverage to suit your family’s needs at the most affordable rates available.