Key habits all year: Ideas for July
| Healthy You | 5-2-1-0 | Kids Health
Use 5-2-1-0 as a fun way to live healthier
The 5-2-1-0 approach is a fun way to make healthy habits. Here’s what those numbers represent every day:
Here are 5-2-1-0 ideas to try for the month of July:
Set up a family salad bar.
Too hot to cook? How about a home salad bar instead?
- Buy various fresh and/or canned ingredients that your family will like.
- Have basics like lettuce, spinach or kale ready to go.
- Pick a few faves like celery, carrots or cucumbers.
- Add interesting options such as baby corn or artichoke quarters.
- If you grill, cook extra meat to chop and keep in the freezer until later.
- Canned or precooked meats can also be found at many stores.
Cut up the veggies and fruits ahead of time. Store in bags, jars or tubs that can be pulled out at lunch or supper. Then you and your children can pick and choose what you want on your plates.
A salad bar is a great way to get 5 veggies and fruits per day.
Visit the library.
If you have time, plan to visit your local library every few weeks. Wandering through the bookshelves and browsing the aisles can inspire your family to keep up on summer reading plans. It’s a cheap, easy way to find new reading material. And some libraries offer special events and programs for all ages. (Did you know reading is a healthy habit? Read more about it.) Reading a book you can hold in your hand is a great way to limit screen time under two hours.
Try water play.
From pools to puddles to ponds, nothing seems to fascinate kids (of all ages) as much as water. Water play is a summertime classic. Swimming in the pool. Wading in the lake. Splashing at the beach. Running through the sprinkler. Whatever your choice, remind everyone about the rules on water safety. Any kind of play counts as part of getting one hour of daily movement.
Make fancy ice cubes.
Kids (and adults) enjoy unexpected delights. And won’t they be surprised to find colorful, flavorful ice cubes in their next glass of water? Making fancy cubes is easy. Just pop a berry, a mint leaf or a sliver of cucumber into the water compartments when you fill the tray. You can also freeze cubes of 100% fruit juice to add a hint of flavor to their water. These are all ways to help encourage zero-sugar drinks.
