We are all about establishing healthy habits throughout the year, but there is no denying that the start of a new year often gives us an extra boost of inspiration and motivation. Every year, about half of Americans set New Year’s resolutions. From exercising more to getting better sleep, January is a great clean slate to set new goals and commit to better habits.
This year, why not try taking on the new year as a family? We’ve gathered a few of our favorite family resolutions for 2024.
- Cook together. Involving your kids in the process of cooking meals at home has so many benefits. From boosting confidence by trying new skills to increasing a child’s willingness to try new foods (research suggests that children who help prepare a meal are more likely to try it), cooking is a valuable activity for kids to get involved in. Cooking together is also a great opportunity to spend quality time as a family and to teach your kids about nutrition, family culture, and values. Check out our recommendations on how to cook with your kids at every age.
- Eat dinner together. We are all busy! Between work, school, playdates, sports, and other extracurricular activities, sitting down to dinner together every night isn’t always a reality. While it may be difficult to schedule, sharing a meal is a great way for us to connect with one another. This year, try setting a goal that’s reasonable and that each family member can commit to making a priority, like starting with one meal per week.
- Try new foods. Eating a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables, is important to get all the nutrients kids’ growing bodies need. Make it a goal to try a new food at least once a month, or even once a week if you can. You can incorporate them into one of your family’s favorite dishes or use it as an opportunity to try a new dish (or even a new cuisine!). Another option is to try out a few new foods – or varieties of the same type of food, like different color peppers – as part of a taste test. Finding ways to make it fun and giving everyone in the family a chance to choose new items will help it become a more seamless part of your routine.
- 60-minutes of movement every day. Getting more physical activity is a very common New Year’s resolution. This year, involve the whole family to make it more fun and easier to accomplish. It can be as simple as going on a walk or having a dance party in the living room, and each family member can take turns selecting activities. Aim for 60 minutes of total activity over the course of the day.
- Phone-free family time. Spending quality time together as a family is important and, let’s be honest, we can’t be fully present when we have one eye on our phones. Try setting a reasonable goal with your family – whether that is phone-free dinners or a no screens after 7pm policy – that allows your family to disconnect to connect.
We would love to hear what resolutions you are setting for your family this year. DM us at @plezinutrition – we always love hearing from you!