Raising healthy families can be a challenge in today's busy world, but an investment in a healthy lifestyle will reap many benefits for years to come. This is especially true for children, who are better equipped to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle when they are exposed to these habits early on.

As a mother of three children, I personally know that the demands of parenting can sometimes encourage sacrificing our health in favor of convenience and time constraints. But I also know that the stakes are high for the well-being of our children.

Today, nearly 30% of children are overweight or obese, and in the African-American and Hispanic communities that number is closer to 40%. These children will be at greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, asthma, hypertension, and other obesity-related health problems.

There are many ways parents can put their kids on the path to a healthy future. With a husband who was a professional athlete, I had a leg up in keeping my family healthy and active, so I wanted to share with you a couple tips that have worked for me. As my friend Sherryl Anthony says, “Eating healthy should be a lifestyle, not just another diet or fad!”

1) Make healthy practices part of your regular family routine, and hopefully some of those routines will stick with your kids when they are off at school and out of your sight.

2) Establish healthy eating habits at home -- this will make it more likely that your child will choose healthy options at school.

3) Eat meals together as a family, this allows parents to share in and influence the lives of their children. Dining together also gives parents the chance to establish healthy eating habits with their kids, which sets the foundation for the future.

4) Make sure kids start every day with a healthy breakfast and get enough sleep each night.

5) Use smoothies and juicing to incorporate different fruits and vegetables your children's diet. My kids love the taste of the juice and smoothies, and I'm happy because of all of the fruit and vegetables they consume in one or two servings.

6) Demonstrate the importance of being physically active. Parents should lead by example to encourage the family to be active together.

7) Have your children take the six-week Presidential Active Lifestyle Award challenge that encourages leading a healthy lifestyle. And you can take the challenge, too.

8) Fresh air and exercise are vital for healthy growth and development. If started early, children will come to love being outside and being active, instead of just sitting around watching TV or playing video games.

9) Read food labels at the store. Choose foods with 100% whole grains and look for products with short ingredient lists. If you don't recognize an ingredient, don't buy it.

10) Teach your kids these healthy eating tips:

• Eat at least eight servings of fruit and veggies a day.
• Drink six to eight cups of water a day.
• Substitute meat for other high-protein options at least twice a week.
• Use smaller plates to limit portions.

Tammara McDonald is the president of Game Changerz Inc., a nonprofit organization that utilizes the influence of pro sports wives to promote purpose-driven community initiatives and programs.

A passion for learning and service means one rotation was not enough for AmeriCorps member Rebbecca Bakre. So, after a stint with Civic Works, the 24-year-old, University of Maryland graduate joined Playworks Baltimore AmeriCorps while she pursues her master’s in public administration.
 

Imagine a child cooped up inside a stuffy apartment building on a beautiful, sunny day because there’s no safe place to play outside. She has only unhealthy processed and fast foods to eat. This image is far removed from the nostalgic picture of a childhood summer filled with fun family vacations and camps. But for too many children, it is a reality that directly affects how ready they will be to move ahead in the classroom come September.
 

Members of the group Game Changerz, also known as Sports Wives With Purpose, were in Washington recently, and we took the opportunity to ask them to talk about their favorite children’s books and the lessons they teach.
 

One of the major factors that contribute to children falling behind in reading is the learning loss that occurs during summer break. Low-income students, in particular, lose two to three months in reading achievement over the summer.
 

Nearly half of Ohio’s school children qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, and many of these children do not have access to adequate nutrition during the summer months. This lack of access to adequate nutrition has been linked to poorer academic performance, which can easily perpetuate the vicious cycle of poverty.
 

It seems improbable in a country where 90 million of its citizens are battling obesity that 49 million are also having food security issues, however, that’s the reality in the United States today. And more than 16 million of our most-vulnerable residents -- America’s children --are paying the price.
 

First Lady Michelle Obama is leading the U.S. Delegation to the 2012 Olympic Games and she's calling on families around the country to support Team USA, not just by cheering on our athletes, but by getting active in their own communities.
 

Americans produce more food, eat more of it (check out our obesity rates), and waste more by sending it to landfills. Finding healthy, affordable food should not be a problem in the United States. But it is.
 

Summer learning loss is a growing problem for American children but there is a simple solution. Research shows that reading just five books during the summer can help kids stay on the path to academic success during the next school year.
 

The school year is over, but that's not an excuse to let your child's brain and body take the summer off. Inspired by the First Lady's Let's Move initiative, the Corporation for National and Community Service's Let's Read. Let's Move. calls on all Americans to combat summer reading loss and childhood obesity through service this summer.
 

It's the time of year when parents worry about summer learning loss and getting the kids off the couch. Good news! There is a fun and free way to exercise a child's mind and body – your neighborhood playground.
 

America's children continue to struggle with summer learning loss and childhood obesity. As part of the effort to battle this problem, the Corporation for National and Community Service continues our Let's Read. Let's Move. initiative for the summer of 2012.
 

The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has a rich heritage in food production, but an increased reliance on processed foods has left them susceptible to America's obesity epidemic. One way to battle this problem is to increase the availability of locally grown, healthy food choices, and the Red Cliff Mino Bi Ma De Se Win (Return to the Good Life) Community Farm is tackling the problem head-on
 

Much ado has been made lately about summer learning loss—and many assume that the antidote is more school. Whether that takes the form of summer school, year-round school, or computer camp, we have come to believe that more indoor desk time is what our kids need to avoid the “summer slide.”
 

Imagine: A mother comes to pick up her children from a summer reading program. Before leaving, her kids timidly pop into your staff meeting to deliver a bouquet of flowers and a big hug to you.
 

Summer is in full swing, and it's time for some healthy competition! Around the country, local organizations from churches to community centers are busy serving meals to kids through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a federally-funded program that provides free, nutritious meals and snacks to help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need throughout the summer months when school is not in session.
 

Do you remember when you fell in love with reading? Many of us can recall that defining moment when we realized that reading is fun. For veteran NFL player Chris Draft, it was the day his mother took him and his brother to get their library cards. He recalled how special he felt at that moment, later emphatically proclaiming to his friends saying, “Man, look I got my library card!”
 

As part of its summer enrichment series for Let's Read! Let's Move!, the Department of Education is inviting Cabinet members, administration officials, and other public figures to join in reading children's books, promoting healthy lifestyles, and participating in games and fitness activities with children in pre-kindergarten through third grade, from various local schools and summer programs.
 

A few weeks ago, the Corporation for National and Community Service joined First Lady Michelle Obama, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Members of Congress and their spouses for a day filled with strenuous and physically hard, yet rewarding work.
 

As the Strategic Advisor for Native American Affairs for the Corporation for National and Community Service, I was honored to participate in the First Lady’s launch of Let’s Move! In Indian Country, which was hosted by the Menominee Tribe in Keshena, Wisconsin.
 

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of joining First Lady Michelle Obama as she launched the newest effort within the Let’s Move! initiative, Let’s Move Faith and Communities. Let’s Move! is the First Lady’s initiative to solve the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation.
 

In the spirit of President Obama’s United We Serve initiative and the President’s Active Lifestyle Challenge, Hindu American Seva Charities (HASC) organized the first nationwide Yogathon on Sunday, August 29, 2010 at temples, ashrams, and spiritual centers. HASC, along with many volunteers, mobilized the Hindu faith based organizations to respond to the President’s call-to-service. As part of United We Serve: Let’s Read, Let’s Move SEVA Charities have used yoga as a tool to promote physical activity, healthy living and peace of mind.
 

One million is a pretty powerful number. The idea that we can help one million people in need may seem like an overwhelming and unattainable goal. But this summer, Reach Out and Read demonstrated that when thousands of committed volunteers join together, they can do exactly that.
 

Youth Service America and UnitedHealth Group are tackling childhood obesity from a new direction: by asking children and youth across America to take action and address this critical issue. The UnitedHealth HEROES Service-Learning Grants, launched two years ago to support youth-led programs, have supported the initiatives of more than 360 schools and community organizations. Asking young people to have a meaningful impact on communities by implementing innovative ideas is an important part of service-learning, a teaching and learning strategy that makes connections between community service and curriculum.
 

It’s time for us to rally around our parks and playgrounds. Every child has the right to a safe, well-maintained, inspiring place to play, and with a little elbow grease and community energy, we can improve our play spaces, strengthen our neighborhoods, and ensure the happiness and health of our children. A simple enhancement project can go a long way.
 

Childhood obesity is a growing, yet often overlooked issue within Hispanic households. Families, including my own, often dismiss childhood obesity with terms like “gordito” or “llenito,” to overlook the fact that a child might be overweight.
 

One Hen, Inc. is an innovative organization that helps children to become global citizens by equipping teachers with interactive resources that teach elementary school children about world issues and how they can make a difference. This summer, One Hen is teaming up with United We Serve: Let’s Read. Let’s Move to encourage summer reading and take on the problem of access to healthy and affordable food!
 

The key to stopping summer learning loss is reading. If a child reads a minimum of five books between June and August, [he] will be on track for success next school year. We need every child to read at least five books this summer and every adult to help,” Secretary Arne Duncan noted earlier this summer at the launch of the U.S. Department of Education’s “Lets Read. Let’s Move.” enrichment series. Today, five special guests demonstrated the importance of literacy and how simple it can be to meet Secretary Duncan’s challenge by reading five books to local children on the Department’s outdoor plaza