ZisBoomBah

Drinking more water, planning healthy meals ahead, a cup of veggies a day... where does your healthy resolution fit in?

Moms across the nation last year shared with ZisBoomBah readers tips ranging from how to make hiking fun for kids to how to pack a healthy picnic. But even moms who, along with their families, stay active and eat healthy can find some way to improve their lives and set new goals. For instance, my family eats its fair share of fruits and vegetables with each meal. However, the drinks in our diet — which includes chocolate milk, sodas and iced mochas — aren’t as healthy. My goal for 2012 is to decrease the amount of sugary drinks my family indulges in and drink more water. Below, three other moms kindly agreed to share what healthy feats they hope to accomplish in the New Year.

Dawn Reeves is a reporter with Inside EPA and lives outside Washington, D.C., with her two sons, ages 6 and 2, and her husband.

“Our family’s resolution for 2012 is to (successfully) eat more vegetables. I say successfully because we have tried (and failed) before, including briefly joining a local farm coop last year that resulted in me pitching more rotting vegetables than I care to recall. This time, I realize, it is all about having a plan. I have been trying to be better about putting together our weeknight meals in advance, including cooking on Sundays. I also find that if I make a meal that incorporates fresh cooked veggies, like sautéed spinach with garlic, our older son, at least, will eat it. This is not the case if I simply open a can of green beans and serve it alongside the main dish. Then an inevitable battle ensues where he negotiates the precise number of beans he is required to eat. Also popular are roasted carrots with thyme, sautéed Chinese broccoli or watercress with Hoisin sauce, fresh steamed green beans with salt, pepper and a touch of butter, and fresh carrots chopped and mixed with frozen peas. The idea, not surprisingly, is to make the vegetables taste good while retaining their healthfulness (no cheese covered broccoli please). I plan to add to this repertoire throughout the year, use what is in season, and ultimately convince my younger son –- a ridiculously picky eater (he won’t eat meat either) –- that veggies are YUMMY!”

Amy Roskelley, who is married with three children, has a degree in Health education and launched the blog Super Healthy Kids in 2007 to document the healthy foods her kids were willing to eat. Since then, Roskelley’s blog has grown into a resource for parents who want their kids to eat more fruits and vegetables too.

“My New Year’s Resolutions are: Eat dinner as a family more often!  It’s so easy for me to feed everyone in shifts according to what we have scheduled for the night, but we definitely can eat together instead! Have 1 cup of veggies every day — not just me but my kids as well. Stick to my meal plans! Life would be so much easier if I wouldn’t just take the time to write meal plans, but then follow through with them.”

Brenda Thompson is a married stay-at-home mom to two elementary aged children and blogs at Meal Planning Magic. A self-professed foodie and self-taught meal planning organizer, Thompson loves to share ideas with others to get organized, save money, eat healthier, consciously and family friendly — plus have fun along the way!

“For 2012 I have quite a few food related resolutions, but tops on my list is to decrease the amount of food waste we generate. Of course, meal planning helps with this but staying on top of leftovers is something we need to work on.”

We would love to hear what you hope to improve in your family’s eating life or active lifestyle. Please share your story in the comment section below!