Put la Familia on the Health Track

With young kids, it can often be difficult to incorporate healthy nutrition into your kids’ diet as well as your own. We asked experts for easy tips on helping your kids -- and yourself -- successfully stay healthy and perform better.

Start Your Day off Right
“Eating a healthy breakfast is the single most important thing you can do,” says Barbara Mendez, a New York City–based nutritionist and pharmacist. From cereals to scones, 99 percent of what we eat has way too much sugar. Instead, Mendez recommends plain oatmeal with fresh fruit and cinnamon, which regulates your metabolism and burns fat. Another fast recipe is to make mini- frittatas (baked omelets) in muffin pans. You can individually wrap them and eat them on the go.

Smart Snacks
Seven to eight hours can pass between meals, which is when junk-food danger can strike. Mendez suggests beating cravings with good high-protein, low-fat snacks, such as sliced apples with natural peanut butter, or a little guacamole on a corn tortilla. All are easy-to-pack school lunches.

Stay Hydrated
“Hydration for the whole family is hugely important and often overlooked,” says Mendez. Drinking more water speeds up your metabolism by 3 percent, which helps you burn an extra 150 calories.

The Family That Plays Together Stays Together
Make fitness fun by joining a family soccer league or bringing your kids along to yoga class. Implement after-dinner strolls to look at the stars. People that are more active are less likely to be obese and have cancer, heart disease, stress and depression. Encouraging family fitness is the best way to show that you care.