With today’s hectic schedules, it’s hard to get your family to eat healthy. Convenience meals and fast foods eaten on the run are the norm, and that can lead to lifelong weight and health struggles. With a little planning and a commitment to eating healthier, more nutritious meals, you can transform your family’s habits in no time at all. Here are some easy, pain-free ways to get started.

In This Healthy Insight:

1. Educate your family.
2. Eat breakfast.
3. Don’t bring junk food into the house.
4. Eat fruit or veggies at every meal.
5. Have dinner as a family.
6. Select healthy substitutions.
7. Lead by example.
8. Give kids a choice.
9. Don’t use food as a reward.
10. Pack school lunches.
11. Monitor water consumption.
12. Introduce supplements.
13. Identify the enablers
14. Avoid food power struggles.
15. Eat slowly.
16. Allow yourself a free day.

1. Educate your family.

Explain all the benefits of healthy eating – better digestion, lower body weight, increased stamina, clearer skin (especially important to teens) and healthy brain function for optimal academic performance. Teach them how to read labels so they can see for themselves how many chemicals and preservatives are actually found in packaged foods.

2. Eat breakfast.

It’s a fact that children who eat breakfast do better in school. Set the alarm a few minutes early and prepare a simple, yet wholesome breakfast of oatmeal, fruit and whole grain toast.

3. Don’t bring junk food into the house.

If it’s not there, you can’t eat it. Keep plenty of healthy snacks on hand like nuts, fruit, celery sticks, granola bars, whole grain crackers, low-fat cheese and yogurt.

4. Eat fruit or veggies at every meal.

Include at least one serving of a fruit or vegetable at each meal. Allow your child to select which fruits they want so they feel involved. You can also sneak in more vegetables by adding them to your child’s favorite foods. For example, add broccoli to pizza or zucchini to lasagna. Look for veggie-based meat that taste like the real thing.

5. Have dinner as a family.

With all the extracurricular activities it can be challenging to eat as a family. Several times a week carve out at least 30 minutes for the family to sit together without smart phones or other distractions.

6. Select healthy substitutions.

Ease into healthy eating by first substituting certain foods. Instead of soda for dinner, serve skim milk, have water or green tea at snack time instead of sugary fruit drinks.

7. Lead by example.

If you’re eating chocolate cake while insisting your children eat carrot sticks, you’re sending the wrong message. Children learn by example. Eat foods you want them to eat and they’re more likely to follow suit. Keep a healthy diet of low sodium and no added sugars, cholesterol or saturated fats.

8. Give kids a choice.

Involve them in the process of planning the meals, purchasing the ingredients and preparing the meal. Children are often more willing to try foods they’ve helped select.

9. Don’t use food as a reward.

Using sweets or junk food as a reward for good behavior or as a mood pick-me-up starts a bad habit that can lead to emotional eating as an adult. Emotional eating is a leading cause of obesity.

10. Pack school lunches.

Home-prepared foods are typically healthier than those prepared by institutions. Focus on low-fat options like turkey sandwiches on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato and sides of fresh fruit. So that they don’t feel completely deprived, allow then one day each week to buy a school lunch.

11. Monitor water consumption.

You can tell if your child’s drinking enough water by their lips – soft and moist means they’re properly hydrated; dry and cracked means they’re not. Make a game of drinking water. Fill up a water container for each child and challenge them to drink it all during a set time.

12. Introduce supplements.

Even if you think you’re eating right, you may still be missing some key vitamins and minerals. A high-quality multivitamin can help cover the bases that diet alone may lack. If you’re looking to add multivitamins or other recommended daily nutrients, take a look here.

13. Identify the enablers.

This is often well-meaning grandparents, parents of children’s friends, and neighbors. Let them know about your guidelines and encourage them to support healthy snacks.

14. Avoid food power struggles.

Don’t make food a battle and don’t cave into making separate meals for each individual. Continue serving healthy choices and your child will eventually be hungry and eat what’s in front of them.

15. Eat slowly.

It takes 20 minutes for your brain to realize your stomach’s full. When you gulp down food, you’re more likely to overeat, gain weight and suffer from poor digestion. Eating slowly allows you to enjoy flavors and textures more too.