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Healthy Eating for Your Family

Eating healthy foods can help your family feel better today and stay healthier over time. The food you eat gives your body energy, helps children grow, and can lower the risk of long-term health problems like heart disease and diabetes. Good nutrition matters at every age, from pregnancy through adulthood. The good news is healthy eating doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive. Small changes, like buying more fruits and vegetables, can make a big difference and help build healthier habits for the whole family. 

Texas has programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that can help if the cost of food is a challenge for your family. These programs can also help connect you to nutrition support. 

What Does a Healthy Meal Look Like?

A healthy meal can be simple. Building a healthy plate is all about including a mix of food groups. Federal nutrition guidance also recommends choosing more whole foods and fewer highly processed foods. That means eating more foods like beans, eggs, fish, chicken, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains, and less food that’s high in added sugar, sodium and saturated fat. 

When making a healthy meal, try to include:

Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits give you important vitamins and nutrients. Eat a mix of whole fruits and vegetables in many different colors. If you can, eat fruits and vegetables in their original form, prioritizing freshness. Try to eat at least two to three servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Protein and Dairy

Protein and dairy can help you build muscle and strong bones. Try to include protein paired with healthy fats from foods like eggs, seafood and dairy in each meal. Try to eat 1.2–1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day. Use this online calculator from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find the recommended amount of daily protein.  

Whole Grains

Whole grains can be a good source of fiber and other nutrients. Try to include fiber-rich whole grains like oats or whole-grain bread in each meal. It’s important to try to limit the number of refined grains because they don’t have the same amount of nutrients. Try to eat two to four servings of whole grains a day.

Get Help Paying for Food

Texas WIC
Texas WIC supports pregnant women, breastfeeding women, postpartum women, infants and children up to age 5. WIC offers healthy food benefits, nutrition counseling, breastfeeding support and referrals to other services.
Visit the Texas WIC page
SNAP
SNAP helps eligible households with low incomes buy food with a Lone Star Card. SNAP benefits can be used for many basic foods, including fruits, vegetables, milk, bread, cereal, meat, fish and poultry. You can use a Lone Star Card to buy groceries in person or online.
Learn more about SNAP benefits
Healthy foods cooking on a grill

In addition to including these three food groups, the following tips can help you make healthier choices as a family: 

  • Keep healthy foods where they are easy to see and grab. 
  • Offer fruits or vegetables with meals and snacks every day. 
  • Bake, broil, roast or grill more often than frying. 
  • Try family meals when you can. Children learn by watching adults eat. 

Eating Healthy at Every Age

As children grow, they need different types of nutrition to stay healthy. 

Newborns

Breastfeeding can improve health outcomes for mother and baby. Breast milk has hundreds of components not found in formula that help babies grow and protect them from allergies and illnesses. Breastfeeding also lowers the mother’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer, heart disease and diabetes. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, your body needs steady nutrition and enough fluids. Eating regular meals and snacks with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and dairy can help support you and your baby. To learn more about what to eat while you breastfeed, visit breastmilkcounts.com. 
 

Many mothers face challenges with breastfeeding. Struggling doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong, but you may need support. You can find help with breastfeeding education, support groups and breast pumps for some families through the Department of State Health Services and Texas WIC. To learn more about breastfeeding, visit the Caring for Your Newborn page.

Babies and Toddlers

Good nutrition in the first two years is important for growth and development. For about their first 6 months, babies should get human milk or iron-fortified infant formula. At around 6 months old, babies can begin solid foods along with breast milk or formula. Start with soft foods that match your child’s eating skills. To learn about how to introduce solid foods to your child, review the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) infant and toddler nutrition guidelines. 

Once you start introducing solid foods to your child, offer a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits, proteins, dairy and whole grains. Foods rich in iron and zinc are also important. Avoid foods and drinks with added sugars for children younger than 2 years old. 

For more information on infant and toddler nutrition, review the Texas WIC’s nutrition resources.

Children

As children get older, keep offering fruits and vegetables every day as part of meals and snacks, even if your child doesn’t always eat them at first. Children often need to see a food many times before they try it. Family meals can help children learn healthy habits, and it helps when adults model the same behaviors. The National Institutes of Health  and Texas WIC  offer resources to help you encourage children to eat healthy foods and build healthy eating habits.

Teens

Teens need enough energy to support growth, school, sports and daily life. How much food a teen needs can change based on age, activity level and growth. Encourage your teen to include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, dairy and water in each meal. 

You can help your teen begin to build healthy habits by reading nutrition labels, choosing better snacks and cutting back on sugary drinks. The National Institutes of Health  and the CDC offer resources to help you teach teens about healthy eating and taking charge of their own health. 

Adults

Healthy eating still matters in adulthood. A strong diet is built on whole foods and healthy patterns over time. Try to fill your meals with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy, while limiting foods high in added sugars, saturated fat and sodium. For more information, visit nutrition.gov. 

Related Resources

Good Food, Good Move
Nutrition.gov