Eat dinner as a family — and slim down favorite meals.

Sitting down to regular meals as a family is a great way to connect with one another and offers the opportunity to instill proper eating habits in your children at an early age. I find that family dinners are the best occasions for kids to explore new foods — something they may not be inclined to do at a friend’s house or at a restaurant. Learn to make leaner versions of your kids’ favorites — like tacos with ground turkey, pizza with toasted whole-wheat pita bread and reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, baked sweet potato fries, and “unfried” chicken fingers. Pick five of your family’s standards and master a healthier, tasty version of each.