The summer school holidays are upon us here in the UK and this week’s healthy tip is all about keeping children healthy and happy over the break.
During the summer holidays normal routine is broken and without a robust plan in place, this can result in unhealthy foods and activities creeping in more than usual.
Here we give you some ideas to ensure everyone starts the new school term feeling nourished and healthy, including parents and caregivers.
Super snacking
Anybody who has looked after children will know that you usually hear “I want a snack” about 100 times a day.
Add an extra snack section to your shopping list over the holidays and include healthy options such as nuts and seeds (chopped for small children), cheese, rice cakes, yoghurts, fruit, and vegetables to chop into sticks.
Children can feel hungry soon after a meal if it wasn’t nutritionally balanced so make sure you include a source of carbohydrate and protein with every meal and add some heart healthy fibre from fruits and vegetables to help keep them full.
Get active
If you’re a parent or caregiver, your usual exercise routine may be thrown out during the holidays.
Thinking about activities you can do as a family to hit those movement goals is a great way to ensure everyone fits that all important exercise in over the summer.
Some ideas include joining your local family park run or planning in swimming days each week.
Even just going out for a walk or organising a bug hunt to keep the younger children engaged will help everyone get the daily steps in.
Plan ahead
Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail. Sitting down with the calendar for the next month or so and spending some time making plans will make the summer holidays run much smoother and most likely mean everyone eats healthier and has more fun.
Planning activities and meals in advance will ensure you aren’t caught out and end up reaching for the takeaway menu.
Keep it simple and follow a similar weekly structure where possible.
For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for weekly healthy tips at: www.heartresearch.org.uk/health-tips
