The Biggest Loser

Photo from NBC's The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser got me thinking about how my eating habits affect my kids.

One of the contestants, Vicky, wishes she had modeled good eating habits for her daughter, who is also overweight.

I've always heard that kids do what we do, not what we say. So I realize that I need to eat apples for dessert if I tell my twins to do that.

It's so true, according to Erica Lesperance, RD, who wrote about modeling good eating habits for our children for The Diet Channel. She says that children imitate us, so we have to be sure to show them our healthy lifestyles. Here are her top tips for things we need to start doing now for our children's health later:

  • Never skip breakfast.
  • Eat meals and snacks consistently.
  • Try new foods (offer them to your children, but don't force them to try anything).
  • Drink only milk or water with meals.
  • Do not drink soft drinks.
  • Turn the TV and other media off while eating.
  • Limit junk food in the house.
  • Incorporate fruits and vegetables into most meal and snacks.
  • Eat fruit for dessert, or skip dessert altogether.
  • Eat at least one meal of the day as a family.
  • Be physically active every day.
  • Limit the amount of time you spend watching television.

For more talk about The Biggest Loser, check out the CafeMom group, Biggest Loser Groupies. Also check out this interesting interview with show host and Days of Our Lives star Alison Sweeney in Entertainment Buzz from Cafe MichelleL.

I try to model great eating behavior for my kids, but I don't always drink milk or water with meals. How do you model healthy eating?