Living in a fast-paced global economy, we often get lost in the flood of conflicting and varying pieces of information on health and wellness. How do we prevent ourselves from being overwhelmed and bogged down in our attempt to achieve a healthy lifestyle? A Naturopath Consultant from Blackmores shares health tips for Singaporean parents.

#1 Active kids, healthy kids

Reward your children with outdoor activities and make exercise activities a family weekend affair. This builds their fitness levels and raises their fat burning ability for better health in the long run. Some great outdoor activities include walks at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and MacRitchie Reservoir Park.

⇒ Related Read: Nature trails in Singapore and Children’s parks to visit in Singapore

#2 Lunch box prep

Preparing healthy school lunches can be a fun and healthy way to bond with your little ones. Discuss healthy lunch options and recipes with them during dinner. In this way, they will be more likely to eat what they chose and made for themselves.

You can also have the option of using healthier ingredients. If your children refuse to eat greens, here’s one handy trick that you can do with them to encourage them to eat a nutritious meal. Premix mincemeat with pureed vegetables and get your kids to roll them into balls. Combine this with brown, red and white rice (colourful rice) and add natural salt replacements such as organic miso paste. Yum!

⇒ Related Read: Vegetable substitutes for picky eaters and How to make a bento lunch box for your child

#3 Have a cook out or baking session together

Heighten your child’s interest in food nutrition and cooking when they are young by attending cooking classes with them. After they have gained the basic skills in the kitchen, challenge them to construct a menu plan for family meals during the weekends. In doing so, you would have gotten yourself a great helper in the kitchen and grocery shopping companion too.

Need a recipe? Hop over to our Baking and Cooking segment.

#4 Eat more greens and fruits

A weekend smoothie breakfast-making session is a great and fun way to educate your children on the nutrient content of fruits and vegetables. Let them choose their favourite fruits and try making a new smoothie flavour each week! Some healthy ingredients you can consider are; carrots for eye health, kiwis, which are high in vitamin C and blueberries, which contain antioxidants for immune health.

The following tips were contributed by Chua Kay Tse, a naturopath consultant from Blackmores.

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