30-Day Healthy Family Challenge

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This year, get healthy as a family. Rather than set unachievable goals try these small daily challenges to help everyone eat more vegetables, move more and de-stress together. Nothing major here, but add them up over 30 days and hopefully you and your family can look back and say you were a little more active, ate a few more vegetables and enjoyed some meals together. Let's get started.

1. Eat dinner together as a family. Gather round the dinner table and eat together. Put the phones away and talk to each other.

2. Swap one sweetened beverage for water or seltzer with a splash of juice. Skipping just one sugary soda can help you save 39 grams of added sugar or about 10 tsp.

3. Write a card to someone to say thanks or share some love. Whether you catch up on holiday thank you notes or just reaching out to an old friend get everyone in the family involved to send snail mail.

4. Try a new vegetable: better yet, get your kids involved and have them pick one to try at the store.

5. Do yoga: Even just 5 minutes of stretching can be appropriate for any age and really help you all feel better and slow down. There are kid-specific yoga channels on you tube or lead your kids through a few simple stretches.

6. To ease into the week, make a lunch-packing station and let the kids pick their choice of fruit, vegetable and protein.

7. Try a new whole grain together. Whole grains are a good source of fiber and nutrients. Quinoa, barley, farro-even if you've had it before pick one that isn't in your weekly rotation and make a fun recipe with it.

8. Make a plastic swap-out: instead of a plastic straw use a reusable one (or just skip altogether and drink straight from a glass). This is a small way to go greener.

9. Take a 10-minute walk.

10. Make salads more fun. Have the kids pick out a topping they're excited about and make salad dressing from scratch to go with.

11. Dance party after dinner! Get the blood flowing and your heart pumping. Have everyone pick one song to dance to and you'll be shaking it for 10-15 minutes.

12. Turn your kitchen into a smoothie shop. Create make-ahead smoothie packs. Have the kids pick out what they want and freeze their very own special smoothie pack the night before. Wake up, blend and savor your streamlined breakfast.

13. Pick a new fruit to try. Bonus if your kids help pick them out. Think starfruit, kumquats or quince.

14. Bake a healthier treat with your kids. Getting kids in the kitchen is one of the best ways to get them interested in eating healthier and who doesn't want chocolate? Try our Chcolate Chocolate Cupcakes, "Chewie" Cookies, or Healthy Brownie Bites. Bake 'em up and eat 'em up.

15. Make your own trail mix. Have kids pick out one ingredient and mix up customized baggies with nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews), dried fruit (apricots, figs, cranberries, cherries) and a little bit of chocolate or cereal. Everyone can eat what they want and you'll have snacks packed. Win-win.

16. Go out for a healthy meal. Try a new-to-you restaurant or a fast casual place like Panera or Chipotle and aim to order a healthier item.

17. Do 10-20 pushups in the morning together.

18. Cook up a new soup recipe together. Bonus if it's veggie-packed.

19. Opt outside. Whether it's a hike, ski, scooter ride or another walk-breathe some fresh air together as a family.

20. Pop DIY-microwave popcorn for movie night! Follow the steps to make homemade microwave popcorn with a brown bag or a bowl and then have kids choose their own toppings and flavor combinations (mmm, funfetti).

21. Host a homemade pizza night. Make mini whole-wheat crusts (or cheat with store-bought naan or pita) and have everyone personalize their pizza with their favorite toppings.

22. Do 20-50 jumping jacks.

23. Rethink your vegetable scraps and plant them! Some with regrow back, like celery and scallions. Kids can geek out over the science experiment and you'll have more vegetables to eat.

24. Create a yogurt bar with different fruit toppings, granola and nuts. Have kids top their own yogurt with different sliced fruit. Challenge them to make a rainbow or animal, like an owl.

25. Instead of watching TV or retreating to bedrooms with screens, sit down together and play a card game, board game or start a puzzle.

26. Make chocolate-covered fruit. Try clementine slices, classic strawberries or frozen banana slices.

27. Eat breakfast together. You can build omelets with everyone's favorite fillings or make a stack of whole-grain pancakes, but the key here is to sit down together with no screens or distractions.

28. Share 3 things you're grateful for with your family.

29. Do an active chore together. Vacuum, wash dishes or scrub bath tubs. Everyone in the family gets an activity to help clean up and move a little more. Another win-win.

30. Do 20-100 squats together.