20 Mom-Tested Tips to a Healthier Family

Think living a healthy lifestyle is pricey and a huge hassle? Real moms share their easy-peasy get-healthy tips! 

1. No junk in the house
“I allow my daughter to eat junk food, but I never buy them, so they’re not our go-to snacks. If I allow junk food in our house, it’s harder to say no when my daughter asks for them. I don’t want to fill her up with empty calories—she won’t eat healthy food anymore because she has already gorged on junk!” — Ines Bautista-Yao, editor; mom to Addie, 5

2. Channel your inner chef
“I prefer homemade food simply because I like knowing what I eat. Instead of chocolates for dessert, I bake cupcakes, cake, and muffins. We also make our own marinades and sauces at home. I make homemade bacon and ham. I also introduced my son to snacking on corn on the cob. These little things make a difference.” — Kat Villanueva, designer; mom to Xavi, 10

3. Get creative
“I make ice popsies out of fruit juice. I use fresh orange juice because fresh fruit means better immunity and healthier teeth. Apple juice is okay, too, but I still need to put it in a food processor. I’m lucky Bettina loves fruits and vegetables, and she’s not a fan of sweets.” — Kristine Machuca, makeup artist; mom to Bettina, 4

4. Keep active
“My son and I spend some bonding time together by heading outdoors with his scooter and my skateboard. I’d rather have him play outside and be physically active than just let him stay inside the house and play with the iPad or other computer games.” — Cuckooh Calsado, makeup artist; mom to Shishio, 6

5. Nix the bad parts
“My husband and I have taught the kids to remove fat and skin from meat, especially pork. Now that they are teenagers, they instinctively remove the skin, or if they do eat it, kaunti lang. They know it’s not healthy. It really has to start early. These are very hard habits to break!” — Divina Ong, entrepreneur; mom to Lauren, 19, and Lia, 17

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6. Prevention is better than cure
“My husband Mark and I get yearly flu shots so we don’t infect our daughter Lexie, especially since Mark is a doctor and I’m always going around in the hospital, too. I squeeze around 20 pieces of calamansi every day for my daily dose of vitamin C. We eat a lot of vegetables, too.  I take Berocca when I feel like I’m about to get sick.” — Viva Olalia-Guzman, lawyer; mom to Lexie, 3

7. Stick to H2O
“I always drink water, even if there are other choices in a restaurant or at a party. It’s the healthiest drink around. If I must, I choose fruit juices over soda. I believe our children learn to eat what they are served, so as a mom, I have to be conscious of what I give them.” — Jen Tanseco-delos Santos, creative services head; mom to Jenine, 22, Julia, 16, and Joey, 6

8. Go for healthy additives
“We puree fresh malunggay leaves with calamansi and honey or sugar, and drink it as often as we can. That way, we easily get our daily dose of greens. My hubby and I are also fans of wheatgerm and flaxseed, which are great sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. We add them to chicken afritada, banana muffin batter, etc. Our baby can also have wheatgerm, so I’ll be adding that to his yogurt one of these days.” — Nina Luigi Chua-Cabardo, editor; mom to Gabby, 2


9. Take care of yourself, too
“I hold a job, so it’s hard for me to stretch my time. I work out twice a week. Every time I run, I bring my eldest son along because it is our chance to bond. Through running, he is also able to release the extra energy that’s causing him to stay up late at night.  Now, he is able to sleep on time and wake up happy. When I have no time for the gym, I work out by cleaning the whole house. It’s important that I stay healthy for my boys.” — Michelle Laurel, entrepreneur; mom to Chino, 8, and Cas, 3

10. Green it up
“Each morning, I prepare green smoothies for me and my son. They are easy to make and don’t cost much. I just blend local greens such as malunggay, pechay, kangkong, or kamote tops with local fruits such as banana, papaya, and mango. My son is so used to this drink and calls it his ‘Hulk smoothie’ because I’ve explained that he will be strong like The Hulk when he drinks it.” — Monica Manzano, yoga instructor; mom to Santi, 7

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11. Work out together
“My kids and I engage in a lot of outdoor activities. We hit the park trail often. I usually jog and the kids have the option to ride their bikes or scooters or jog with me. We play badminton and soccer — these are great ways to stay fit and bond with the kids. I also use my baby Nevan as a weight when I do squats. He is an effective 20-pound weight and he loves going up and down.” — Cheryl Sy, entrepreneur; mom to Nicholas, 10, Nathan, 5, and Nevan, 2

12. Go loco for coco
“I give my son a teaspoon of coconut oil after breakfast instead of processed vitamin tablets. It’s a natural immunity booster containing antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties.” — Noelle Hilario, art director; mom to Kai, 5

13. Be an example
“My daughter knows that I am very vigilant about health and fitness, so she watches what she eats and works out with me whenever she can. She’s a varsity basketball player, so she needs to watch her food intake, too. If she has to eat fatty food like pork, she remembers to remove the fat. I’ve also encouraged her to stop drinking soda. For bonding time, we run at the nearby park or watch our favorite movies, eating air-popped popcorn.” — Connie Fortich, personal trainer and coach; mom to Cassandra, 17

15. Know your oils
“We use canola oil for cooking because it’s good for the heart. When it comes to drizzling or dipping, we use extra virgin olive oil because it tastes great and has antioxidants.” — Kris Lashacker, athlete; mom to Rowena, 4, and Dix, 2

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16. SPF every day
“I make my kids wear sunscreen daily. I know that early sun damage can have consequences in the future, such as skin diseases or melanoma. Besides, they like its coconut scent and hardly complain.” — Aurora Tai, store manager; mom to Keera, 8, and Kyle, 5 

17. Cook smart
“We got rid of our microwave three years  ago, and we’re fine. Using a microwave oven is said to change food composition—even making it carcinogenic. We make sure we eat only fresh food. We reheat leftovers in the rice cooker or the pan. We opt to grill, steam, or roast our food instead of frying (It’s helped cut down our electricity bill, too!)” — Jas Mendiola, stylist and makeup artist; mom to Mio, 10

18. Say no to smoke
“I am raising my baby in a smoke-free home. I discourage friends from smoking even before their visit since tobacco by-products get trapped in skin, hair, clothing, as well as furnishings, carpets, etc. This may increase my baby’s exposure to third-hand smoke, which can be more harmful.” — Schenley de los Santos, medical representative; mom to Bashe, 2

19. Snack on fruits
“You will seldom find unhealthy snacks in our home. They ruin my baby’s appetite for normal meals. Instead of junk food, we give him fruits between meals.” — Joyce Sheng, grad student; mom to Han, 2

20. Switch off the electronics
“I read in a book that distractions during meal times contribute to obesity. I make sure the TV is turned off and my son doesn’t play with his phone or PSP whenever we sit down for a meal. It makes him, as well as my husband and me, eat mindfully and have meaningful conversations over dinner.” — Angela Santiago, entrepreneur; mom to Raphael, 4

Got more novel tips on how to get in shape? Share it with us by leaving a comment below!

Photo credits: woman in grocery, woman getting vaccination, baby squats, sunscreen