We’ve all heard the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. When it comes to health and fitness and nutrition, this phrase is indubitable. So if you want your kids to run and jump and love their veggies, check yourself!

My friend Karen created this beautifully healthy snack station for her kids. Can you read the note? It says, "Here are your choices and the eggs in the fridge. If you need to complain go find someone who doesn't love you!"

Nutrition is the foundation of any healthy child. Kids want choices so provide them with healthy choices and don’t buy processed Frank-N’-Foods at the grocery store. They will have ample opportunity to eat garbage at birthday parties, sleepovers, and holidays. Get them involved in gardening, cooking and selection of food so that they develop an appreciation for how it grows, where it grazes, and swims. Emphasize foods with color which translates to antioxidants.

Is this as fun for you as it is for your kids?

When it comes to exercise, kids always want to participate. Kids perform functional movement all the time–for fun. Running, jumping, skipping, crawling, and tumbling are what kids are made to do so when they see you doing push-ups, sit-ups, and burpees, they will emulate the movements in the spirit of fun. Incorporate fitness into family gatherings by taking the kids hiking, rafting, water-skiing, and biking. Watch the Olympics together and make a game out of igniting your inner athlete. Learn from your kids. Watch the way they pick objects up from the floor with perfect dead-lift technique. Watch the way they squat down effortlessly until they learn bad form from unfit parents.

Go climb a tree!

What active kids do naturally, so should we. Learn from your kids and let loose every now and then and be a kid yourself. Get muddy, climb a tree, do somersaults, just let go and laugh with your kids.