10 Healthy Family Habits That Stick

Inside: Are you looking to start some new healthy family habits? Now is a great time of year to get your family heading down a healthy path. Families can work together to make good choices and help each other be accountable to a positive life change. From family exercising to being active together, to having fun and setting family goals…work together to live better today.

Whether you’re new to healthy family living or an old pro, check out our list below to find our Top 10 Ideas to create new Healthy Family Habits.

It’s springtime here in the Midwest and I am thrilled! After a long, cold winter I long for warmer weather in March and April. Maybe you’re in the same boat, or maybe you live somewhere else and have different climate challenges to embrace.

Regardless of where you live, there are many ways to create healthy family habits. I like to revisit these ideas each spring to feel better after winter and live a more active lifestyle with my family.

What is a Family Habit?

A Family Habit is something your family does regularly together. Family habits can be good or bad. It may take some time and effort to change a bad habit, but once you work toward a goal together, it becomes easier over time.

Your family can agree to make these changes together, or at least talk about them together, to understand why you’re deciding to change certain habits.

If your kids aren’t used to a certain healthy habit, it could take some encouragement from parents to make changes happen. Parents should be the leaders in this effort to create a healthy family! Make it fun and interesting. Show your kids that you’re excited about the habits and then follow through on them.

Accountability is so important in achieving your healthy habit goals. Continue the conversation about these changes regularly, but be uplifting rather than upset when the changes don’t happen right away.

How to Use this List

You can use the list of 10 Healthy Family Habits below to get you thinking about changes you can make this week. Then you can build on those ideas with what works best for your family and what you enjoy doing most together.

Start with one or two habits with your family this week, commit to those and talk about them together, then add more as you make healthy changes for your whole family.

The most important part of having a healthy body is consistency. Work together and have fun with it!

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10 Family Habits List

Write down three new healthy family habits you want to practice this week. See how these three new activities go. Here’s a list of ideas to get you started!

  1. After Dinner Walk

My husband started this family habit a couple years ago. We love to go on family walks after dinner as often as we can.

This habit helps your body digest your dinner, encourages you and your family to not lay on the couch, and refreshes your heart as you stroll around your neighborhood catching up together.

My oldest son brings along a football to play catch (which works out well because he has way more energy than most of us). We’ve had our littlest ride in the stroller or on a scooter so he can keep up.

Whatever you have to do to get out together and have a relaxing walk while watching the sun go down, do it! You won’t regret it.

  1. Protein Shakes

This is a simple habit that I pick up in the spring as a meal replacement. I add protein powder (like Orgain Organic Chocolate Protein Powder), collagen (like Vital Proteins Collagen), half a banana, a handful of spinach or another vegetable, milk or water, and ice. As you start making your own, you’ll realize what you like in your shake and how much.

It’s great to get all of these health benefits in one tasty meal!

I also make one big shake for my kids and pour it into smaller cups for them. They love it because it’s just like an ice cream shake. Instead of protein for my kids, I use a chocolate shake powder from Melaleuca called Shakeables. It’s similar to Ovaltine.

We’ve used the Ninja Blender for about 5 years now, without having to buy new parts. It’s great for single serving shakes and takes only about 30 seconds to blend.

  1. Get Some Sun

Vitamin D is so good for our bodies! God gave us the sun for many reasons, but the benefits that come from soaking in the rays are ones that we should all pay attention to.

Vitamin D promotes healthy bones, supports your immune, brain, and nervous system, and regulates insulin levels, among other benefits.

You can sit outside while you have lunch, kids can read outside, or do something productive like clean up sticks in the yard…anything works!

For me, it feels rejuvenating and makes me happier! Get outside and soak it in, even if it’s just for a few minutes every day.

  1. Play Together

Have fun and grow deeper relationships by playing together weekly.

In the nice weather months you can play in your yard…play PIG with a basketball, hit some wiffle balls, shoot water guns, jump on the trampoline (or watch your kids), push kids on a swing, build a fort out of sticks.

The goal is having fun!

If the weather isn’t so great, you can still play together as a family. Have a board game night (find some fun, new Board Game Ideas in this post), do a family workout, play an active video game with teams, or build legos.

Family Nerf Wars are a great way to get the entire family moving!

If you have more fun ways that your family plays together, please share with us in the comments below!

  1. Cook Together

Teach your kids healthy living through having them help you make snacks and meals.

At any age, kids can learn to get out ingredients, cut up vegetables, add ingredients to a bowl and stir them together. They may even be able to help you think of healthy food options. This will encourage them to eat those healthy foods!

Prepare snacks together, teach kids to make their own breakfast (like eggs) or pack their lunch for school.

The whole family can also clean up meals together. Once dinner is done, everyone can pitch in in the kitchen to clean the table and get dishes in the dishwasher. Once this habit is formed, it’s super helpful to Mom.

  1. Candy Only on the Weekend

Limit candy and high sugar foods to the weekends. My kids don’t love this one but it’s great for training them up to make healthy choices later in life.

Offer healthy snacks after school and before bed instead of store bought, sugary snacks. It’s better for everyone’s health and it’s better for future habits.

  1. Parents Model Healthy Living

Here’s one that parents may not love…but kids will often have the same habits as their parents. Model healthy habits by being active, eating balanced meals, and taking care of yourself. Show them what it looks like to be healthy.

My husband loves to work out. He usually runs a lot once spring arrives. Now that our older two kids can, he takes them on his runs. It’s definitely a challenge for the kids, but good for their hearts and releases lots of energy.

Read: Simple Family Workouts for great ideas on getting the whole family involved in exercise!

  1. Limit Screen Time

We all probably try to do this, but it’s so important to add to this list. The less time kids (and parents) look at screens, the more time they spend living!

Get in the habit of setting a number of minutes per day that your child can be on their devices. Model this behavior by putting your phone away so you don’t lose hours of your day scrolling with no intent.

This habit will get bodies moving, thinking creatively, playing outside more, and will encourage all sorts of other good habits.

  1. Explore Something New

Plan a family hike, explore a nearby pond, walk a trail you haven’t walked together, look for bugs, or take a bike ride together. Develop a love for curiosity and awareness of the beautiful things God has created around you.

Another fun way to explore new things is to plan a trip. When you vacation, look for fun new things you can explore and learn about.

Is there a State Park you’ve been hoping to see someday? Or a place to camp that you can be in nature, away from normal life?

Planning these trips as a family will help you to grow closer together and find an excitement for exploring.

  1. Set a Family Goal

Is there a family habit that you’d like to change? Set a goal together to do something for 30 days, by the next season, or by the end of the year (whatever makes the most sense for the habit your family would like to change).

The more you talk about it and have accountability, the more likely you are to reach your goals!

Celebrate together when you achieve your Healthy Family goal by doing something fun together.

Start New Healthy Family Habits Today

As you can see, developing healthy family habits doesn’t have to be a huge deal, they can be simple, small changes. You can live healthier today by developing habits that will add up over time.

What will your family do differently this week to live healthier, happier, and more fun lives?! Please let me know in the comments (and share other ideas too!).

Check out these other Healthy Family Living Posts:

Delicious Lara Ball Recipe– try this scrumptious snack that go great with healthy family habits.

Simple Changes Toward Healthy Homemaking– healthy household tips for Intentional Homemakers.

Beauty and Benefits of Family Gardening– learn how easy it is to start a family garden and the many benefits it’ll bring.

Simple DIY Castile Foaming Hand Soap for Pennies– See how easy and cheap it is to make your own foaming handsoap, and read a few other genius mom hacks for cold and flu prevention!

Healthy Family Habits

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