1. Your message to kids today that you wish you knew back then what you currently know now. Be specific.

Eating the colors of the rainbow is a great way to maintain balance year-round – as long as the colors are from nature and not artificially made (in other words, Fruit Loops don’t count)! The goal is to eat foods that naturally represent all of the colors of the rainbow, and foods that come from a plant (the green kind, not the manufacturing kind). Encouraging kids to be more adventurous eaters can be a struggle, particularly when it comes to eating vegetables. As soon as children realize you have an agenda, they’ll be on to you! So forget about the end result, and focus on making it fun and educational each day.

2. How did you learn your lesson or what was your lesson? Did you get hurt, did you upset someone, did you get scared?

When I was 25 years old my doctor told me I had high blood pressure, and it was mainly due to my poor diet. That’s when I changed my lifestyle and evolved myself in the clean eating and living movement.

3. What you would have done differently back then if you could turn back time.

I would be more cautious about what I was putting in my body. I would focus more on bringing home healthy food and leaving the indulgences behind. Make the hard choices once at the grocery store so that I wouldn’t be faced with making them every time I opened the cupboard. I would also Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Purchasing a share of a local farm’s harvest is a great way to discover new foods, enjoy seasonal fresh produce that’s fresh and delicious, connect with the source of our food, and support our local farmer.

4. Do you convey this message to children in your life today?

Yes, I convey this message daily to my daughters, so that they’re learning about good nutrition and are empowered to make healthy choices.

In the end, children will learn much more about healthy eating from what we do than what we say. Model the choices you’d like them to make, keep an abundance of healthy food in your refrigerator and pantry so there are not a lot of unhealthy traps and temptations, and enjoy sharing your meals and mealtime. Keep it fun, honor their likes and dislikes.

– Best-selling author, Terry Walters, a well-known holistic health counselor, food educator, and motivational speaker