Helen Thompson, MA, RD, CDE

The things that surround you at home can make a difference in your ability to consume healthy foods and be physically active. Take a look around your home environment and ask yourself if you have the foods and things you need to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Here are some tips to help get you started:

1. Designate a place in your house for eating where you don’t do other things, so you can pay attention to what and how much you are eating.
2. Prepare fruits and vegetables in bite-sized portions so they become “fast foods” and can be readily eaten.
3. Serve individual plates away from the table.
4. Put cooking and preparation foods away before you sit down to eat so that you won’t munch while cleaning up.
5. Use your garden, farmer’s market, or community garden to get your fruits and vegetables.
6. For your neighborhood:
• Organize a neighborhood watch.
• Call your power company to replace burned out lights in your neighborhood.
• Petition your city for adequate street lights, bike paths, sidewalks, stop signs, and crosswalks.
• Plant trees and flowers to make your street or neighborhood a more inviting place.
7. Organize your cupboards and pantry so that cooking items and nutritious foods are easy to find.
8. Stock your kitchen with equipment for healthy cooking:
• Salad spinner for fresh, crispy lettuce
• Non-stick pans so that cooking oils/fats are not necessary
• Properly sharpened knives
• Common spices
• Vegetable steamer
9. Keep exercise and recreational equipment handy for everyone to use.
10. Place a stationary bike or treadmill in a convenient place (for example: in the T.V. room so that you can exercise while watching your T.V. shows).
11. Get up to change channels on the TV rather than using the remote control.
12. Take a walk around the house during commercial breaks during TV shows.
13. Set aside a play area in your house where it is okay for your kids to play games or be physically active.
14. Get fun water bottles to increased water intake every day.
15. Have a water pitcher on the dinner table while eating.
16. Make sure everyone in the family has comfortable walking shoes.
17. Invite friends or neighbors to walk with you around the neighborhood to increase safety.
18. Take advantage of local recreation centers, parks, and lakes and try them out.
19. Walk or bike to the corner store or local coffee shop rather than driving.
20. As a family, explore using the bus or other mass transit for your outings.

A great way to assess your environment is by taking the Home Physical Activity Environment Audit and the Home Food Environment Audit.

Ensure success in making changes by involving the entire family. Kids like to be a part of the decision making process and you can help reinforce positive messages. Also, talk about the tips at the end of the Environment Audits as a family. If you have room for improvement, choose 1-2 things at a time to change rather than trying to completely make over your environment. Once you are successful in making a couple of changes, choose 1-2 more and continue along this path until you are satisfied that your home is a healthy food and physical activity environment.