Taking Charge of Your Family's Health: honibe® sponsored post

Let’s face it – navigating your children’s health is no easy feat. This has become all the more apparent as I now have two kids in school and bag lunches are a part of life five days a week. And don’t even get me started on how all my daughter wants to eat is hummus, bread, cookies, pickles and ice cream (you know, the 5 major food groups). Times aren’t like they used to be – it’s hard to trust labels that you can’t read with words that you don’t understand. It would seem sugar is the first ingredient in almost anything that comes in a box and yet the endless studies on nutrition and health all point to the same thing: if you are looking for long term health and a better chance at beating diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease eat less sugar, more fruit and veg and make it organic. Health is a priority in our home and while it has taken years of educating myself and the reforming the habits of my family, I think we have finally found a good balance eating well while still being able to enjoy good food.

Here are my top 5 habits that have helped us become a happy healthy family:

1. Mix It Up and Make Them Try It

If a child learns that if they whine enough you will make kraft dinner and weiners for dinner for the 4th time this week, it is going to be pretty hard to get them to eat anything else. I am a foodie at heart and love all types of food. Not only that but I love going out to eat whether it be in someone’s home or a restaurant and I want to be able to take my children out with me so from shortly after they started eating solid food, we exposed them to lots of variety from spicy indian to stinky cheese. And while I don’t claim to be an expert in the feeding department, I am happy to report my kids will eat almost anything. Sure, there are things they don’t like – Ella won’t eat mushrooms and Jakob doesn’t like my red curry but they will try anything.

2. Make Healthy Lunches a Habit

My friend Arlee over at My Small Potatoes is an expert in Bento boxes. I wish I could say I make my kids lunches as pretty or creative as hers but we do try to keep the spirit of healthy options. I very rarely pack anything with sugar but stick to fruit, veggies, yogurt, cheese and crackers or hummus and/or leftovers from last nights’ dinner all packed as a litterless lunch.

3. Smoothies

Smoothies are a relatively new addition to our morning routine. It all started when I got pregnant again and was not only cognizant of my need for the recommended daily fruit and veg servings but also of the gnawing hunger that came with keeping morning sickness at bay. They aren’t fancy and usually take the same form everyday but even Ben noticed that they keep him sustained until lunch. A typical smoothie for us includes berries of some kind, kale, an apple, banana, a tablespoon or two of plain yogurt, orange, coconut water, flaxseed and/or coconut oil and for the pregnant or postpartum types I will sneak in some wheat bran.

4. Buy Organic When and Where Possible
Period.

5. A Good Supplement

I was recently asked to review a relatively new line of dietary supplements by honibe®. Now, let it be said, I won’t just promote anything on this blog, but when I find a product I love, it’s hard not to share it. honibe® gummies have 50% less refined sugar that other vitamin gummies…oh, and did I mention they have not only children’s supplements but adults and prenatal as well?! These one-a-day vitamins (as opposed to the typical two a day dosage), are free from gluten, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and they taste delicious!

And you can feel good about your purchase because not only is honibe® a Canadian company but for every bottle of NEW honibe honey gummies sold on their website, they will donate 25 cents to Vitamin Angels. This is enough money to provide one child in need with a year’s supply of Vitamin A.

Want to win a year supply of honibe honey gummies™?

Just enter below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So there you go! Creating healthy habits for your whole family is easy peazy lemon squeezy. Here is wishing you a happy healthy weekend (and a Happy Family Day Long weekend for all of my Canadian readers!)

** Disclosure: This is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own**