In the hustle and bustle of each year, it’s easy for families to put off making major adjustments to how they live.

But the new year can provide the motivation needed to make a fresh start.

Here are four resolutions that local parents said they’re working on this year, along with some expert encouragement and advice.

A BETTER FAMILY TABLE

Stafford County resident Nicole Hodges, mother of two girls ages 1 and 3, hopes to help her daughters establish healthy habits from the start, so they don’t have to make resolutions to get back on track later in life.

She plans to get the family up to eating the government-recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

“We are probably only at two to three servings going into the new year, and I am aiming for five because it is measurable and more specific than just, ‘eating healthier,’” she said.

Anyone who has fed toddlers knows that keeping up with what they will and won’t eat can feel like working the mind-reading booth at the carnival. So Hodges is prepared to employ some creative strategies—like working vegetable purées into familiar dishes—to try to boost vegetable consumption.

For kids of any age, a key to helping them build healthy habits is making sure parents are setting a good example.

“Kids emulate their parents and caregivers, so it is natural that they will adopt the eating patterns, for better or worse, of those who play an important role in their lives,” said local dietitian Nancy Farrell. “Oftentimes in my counseling sessions we work together to improve the nutrition practices of the entire family.”

A few tips she often shares:

Make children an integral part of deciding what is served at home. Let them come along to the market to pick out ingredients for the dishes they select.

Allow children to assist in the kitchen.

“This may mean washing the food item, peeling mashing, slicing, etc.,” Farrell said. “I find that so many kids today do not know how to prepare and cook foods, let alone meals. Cooking is a lifelong lesson that encourages togetherness and bonding. It is a gift from parent to child.”