The YMCA of San Diego County understands that making healthy lifestyle changes can be difficult. That’s why they are committed to offering community programs and resources on how to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.

Because quality nutrition is such an important part of a healthy lifestyle, YMCA Child Resources Services (CRS), a social service department of the YMCA of San Diego County, not only provides services to families and children through subsidized childcare and referrals, but also works with families and childcare service providers to offer nutrition support and resources.

On a weekly basis, the YMCA CRS team provides wellness tips and practical ideas for eating healthfully and getting active. From deliciously healthy recipes to exercises routines, CRS inspires and educates families that they can make easy every day choices to help form healthy habits.

Examples of helpful tips include:

• Plan a day of the week when the whole family cooks together and talk to kids about the nutritional value of the food
• Have children help prepare meals by having them count ingredients, wash veggies, leaf lettuce or peel fruits
• Allow your children to serve themselves at dinner time. This will help improve motor skills and increase their independence. 

The Y also offers unique culinary programs. The Dan McKinney Family YMCA in La Jolla recently hosted cooking classes to equip people with the skills, knowledge and confidence to make healthy and affordable meals. These classes were not just about putting a healthy spin on classic recipes, but rather a fun way to learn and taste something new, and allowed youths and adults to learn about nutrition and healthy cooking in a welcoming and educational environment.

For class or program information at a YMCA near you, visit www.ymca.org.

For more information about the Y’s CRS program, visit www.ymca.org/crs.