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Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative

Healthy Eating as a FamilyPreparing healthy food together at home

Healthy Choices

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is one of the best things you can do to support your overall health and well-being. Help your family build long-lasting habits by having family meals together, stocking up on healthy foods, and including your kids in meal preparation.

Typical healthy plate with vegetables and grains in higher propotions than fruits, protein, and dairy

Learn more about how to eat healthy with MyPlate California!

MyPlate California includes resources to help you and your family create meals that include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy every day.

Here are some tips for healthy eating at home:

  • Offer your family a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein foods. Include dairy or fortified soy alternatives.

  • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Include a variety of fruits and vegetables for a colorful plate ā€“ the more color, the more nutrients!

  • Make half your grains whole grains (think whole-wheat pasta and tortillas, brown rice and quinoa, and whole-grain bread).

  • Include a variety of proteins such as beans, lentils, chicken, turkey, fish, and lean cuts of pork or beef.

  • Offer water, low-fat (1%) milk, or fat-free milk instead of beverages with added sugars like sports drinks or soda. Limit juice servings. If your child drinks juice, make sure it's 100% juice without added sugars.

Family Meals

Eating meals at home together is important for both parents/caregivers and kids. Eating together at home is a great time to connect and to introduce kids to new healthy foods.

Family meals are linked to many benefits for kids including:

  • Lower rates of obesity and eating disorders.
  • Lower rates of substance use and pregnancy.
  • Higher self-esteem and academic performance.
  • Better nutrition and knowledge of healthy foods.

Try the following tips to unplug and build connection during family meals:

  • Avoid distractions by turning off phones and TVs and keeping other distractions away.
  • Encourage conversation by sharing stories or highlights from the day. You can put together a question jar to help start family conversations every time you and your kids sit down for dinner.
  • Include your kids in the meal preparation and cleaning.

Healthy Foods at Home

Healthy eating starts at home! Many kids, especially younger kids, will eat whatever is available at home so it's important to have a variety of healthy foods in the fridge and pantry. Avoid purchasing junk food ā€“ if it's not in the house, you and your family are much less likely to eat it.

There are so many options to choose from for delicious, healthy foods at home ā€“ here are some ideas:

  • Keep ready-to-eat fruits and veggies in the fridge such as celery, bell peppers, carrots, and grapes. Consider prepping (washing/cutting) them ahead of time and keeping them in sealed containers so they're ready to go at any time.
  • Drink beverages with no added sugars such as water and milk. Limit juice servings. If your child drinks juice, make sure it's 100% juice without added sugars.
  • Limit low-nutrient snacks such as chips and candy. You can make them "once-in-a-while" foods so kids can enjoy them occasionally.
  • Stock your pantry with fresh snacks and whole-grain breads and cereals.

You can feed your family healthy meals on a budget. Here are some tips to get the most out of your grocery shopping:

  • Create a weekly or monthly grocery budget. Knowing how much you can spend on groceries will make it easier to build a shopping list and make healthy decisions.
  • Create meal plans. You can find recipes online or in cookbooks. Remember to find out which fruits and vegetables are in season. Cooking with produce that's in season will usually cost less.
  • Make a shopping list. Make sure to write down everything you'll need to buy and try to stick to your list as much as possible. Don't forget any coupons you may have!
  • Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in season (PDF) . Canned or frozen options can be just as healthy and are usually budget friendly.
  • Make use of Calfresh EBT benefits or WIC food benefits. Some farmers markets provide extra dollars to buy fruit and vegetables when you use your EBT card. Find a farmers market near you .

Do you have a picky eater at home?

Many kids may need to try some foods many times before they like it. Check out the CDC Tips to Help Your Picky Eater webpage for some helpful ideas to help your picky eater!

Resources

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