Have you noticed that your kids are getting pudgier as you and your husband put on weight? It’s only logical. Overweight parents tend to have kids who are chubby kids, or even fat kids. After all, kids eat what their parents feed them, and they also eat junk food that kids love. And let’s not even get into how unhealthy and fattening most school lunches are. Sure, you can send them to school with a good lunch, but will they eat it? Probably not.

So, you have to concentrate on the time that they’re with you. At home, this isn’t too hard. Just find a good diet plan that the whole family can follow. There’s no need for exotic foods or fancy recipes. Most of the time, it’s possible to adapt your favorite dishes to make them healthier and less fattening.

Get some healthy snacks and make sure that you eat them too. Granola bars, as long as they don’t contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors or flavors or too much sugar are good snacks for kids and grownups alike. Just make sure that you keep the calorie count lower than 120 calories a bar and you’re good to go.

Apples, bananas, grapes and other fruits are very good snacks for the whole family. Just don’t get juice instead, because it has more calories and sugar. Try baby carrots with ranch dressing or celery with peanut butter for snacks on family movie night, or a big bowl of air-popped popcorn with a light sprinkling of parmesan or cheddar cheese instead of butter. Or try one of the new popcorn flavorings that are very low in calories.

If you take your kids out to eat more than once or twice a week, you’re not only helping to make them overweight, you’re teaching them poor eating and spending habits. Why not cut back to once a week for restaurant meals, and choose a restaurant that has healthy options? Kids’ menus are notorious for being low in nutrition and high in fat, calories and sugar. However, it’s possible to get around that by ordering a couple of healthier pizza options, for instance, and having the whole family share it.

Ask for the nutrition information for the restaurant or find it online. You’ll be shocked at what’s in the food you’ve been letting your family eat. Don’t despair though. Most restaurants DO have healthy offerings, you just have to look for them. Do your homework before you go out, and you won’t have to take forever when you’re looking over the menu while hungry kids whine and demand chicken fingers and mac and cheese. By the way, these are two of the worst and most fattening foods on most kid menus.

At fast food restaurants, it’s the same thing. Do your research online before you go and make sure your kids are eating menu items that are appropriate for their size and nutritional needs. A ten year old does NOT need a Big Mac or Super-Sized anything. Think about it, do you want a super-sized family? I didn’t think so.

As for school lunches, let your kids help you choose better alternatives to the prepackaged lunch kits that are high in fat, calories and sodium. There’s nothing wrong with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and you can even cut them out with cookie cutters to make them more appealing. Add some carrot sticks or raisins, an apple and a healthy drink. Your kids are much more likely to eat something that they’ve chosen with a little guidance from you.