10 Tips to Help Your Family Eat Better—One Day at a Time

Try one of these tips each day for a month to help your family take a step-by-step approach to eating healthier.

Make it fun for kids to try new fruits and vegetables. Have them pick out a new fruit or vegetable in the grocery store each week. Plan together how to prepare it in a healthy way.

Include whole grains in your family’s eating plan. When grocery shopping for bread, rice, pasta, cereal, crackers and more, choose the whole-grain options. Look for “whole grain” as the first ingredient on the ingredient list.
Choose healthy “good” fats. Use nontropical liquid vegetable oils, such as canola, corn, olive, safflower, sesame and sunflower, in place of butter and other solid fats to minimize saturated fat and avoid trans fat.
Be a good role model. Teach your kids and show by example what healthy foods are and how much we should be eating to keep our bodies healthy.
Read Nutrition Facts labels. Look for foods that provide vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Limit salt, added sugars and saturated fat and avoid trans fat. The Heart-Check mark is a helpful way to let you know you are making a healthy choice.
Cook more at home. When you cook, you have more control over the ingredients in your food and the amount you eat and serve.
Snack smart. Keep ready-to-eat fruits and veggies on hand, such as celery and bell peppers and a bowl of grapes or cherries, in an easy-to-reach spot in the fridge.
Eat fish high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, trout and albacore tuna are good choices. Plan to serve fish twice a week.
Enjoy a small handful of nuts or seeds. Look for unsalted or lightly salted nuts. Almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts are all good choices. Also, stir them in plain, fat-free/low-fat yogurt or oatmeal or sprinkle them on salads.
Choose fresh, canned or frozen vegetables and fruits. They are loaded with nutrients and dietary fiber. They are also naturally low in calories and sodium. Fresh, frozen and canned produce can all be healthy choices. For canned, choose the no-salt-added, reduced-sodium and no-added-sugar options. For frozen, look for those with no sauces or seasonings.