Healthy Family Checklist

As a parent, one of the most important jobs you have is keeping your family healthy and well.  Use this checklist to help you determine if you are doing all you can to keep yourself and your children healthy and well.

□ We make good food choices.

□ We eat whole grain foods such as oatmeal, low fat popcorn, whole wheat bread and brown rice.

                □ We eat our vegetables, including many dark green leafy veggies like spinach.

                □ We choose fruit as a snack.  Fresh fruit is chosen over canned or sweetened.

                □ We offer low fat dairy foods, like milk and yogurt, every day.

□ We choose lean meats and chicken for protein.  Dried beans are also a good choice for    protein.

□ We get our healthy oils from fish or nuts and use healthier oils such as canola, olive, corn or soybean.

□ We limit the amount of sugar in our foods…choosing products that do not list corn syrup or sugar as the first ingredient.

□ We get our exercise.

□ We set a good example for our children.  We are active with the kids, taking walks, raking leaves or playing ball in the yard.

□Take the President’s Challenge(www.presidentschallenge.org) or the Valley Fitness Challenge   (www.electronic valley.org ) and track your fitness activities.

□ Establish a routine for physical fitness.  The average adult needs 30 minutes of physical activity and children need at least 60 minutes of active play. Build these times into your daily routine.

□ We make health care a priority.

                □ The children go for regular doctor visits and are immunized against diseases.

□ Adults regularly do simple health screenings (such as self breast exams)at home and visit their doctor every 5-7 years (depending on age).

                □ Our family members take a daily vitamin.

□ We carry health insurance for all of our family members.  Visit www.HUSKYHEALTH.com for information about health insurance for your children if you do not have affordable health insurance for any reason.

kph/ansonia