Teaching children the principles of healthy eating at an early age will go a long way toward helping them live a healthier life. "Children who learn to make the right food choices — selecting colorful fruits and vegetables, good fats, and good carbs, while avoiding trans fats in packaged foods and fast foods — are more likely to maintain a healthy weight and enjoy lifelong health," says Dr. Arthur Agatston, preventive cardiologist and author of The South Beach Diet. Find out how to teach kids to make healthy food choices.

The first step is to set a good example yourself. Children will pick up on the fact that you enjoy eating fresh produce, lean sources of protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods. It's equally important to have a steady supply of these foods in the house. Stock the fridge with fruit and precut veggies so your kids can easily reach for a healthy snack. Begin to jettison refined grains and sugary cereals, and replace them with whole-grain crackers and breads and high-fiber, low-sugar cereals.

It's also helpful — and fun — to include your children in selecting recipes, shopping for ingredients, and preparing the dishes you eat together. As active participants in the range of tasks it takes to get food on the table, they'll be more interested in tasting their creations. Let young kids pour and mix, and allow older children to measure ingredients and slice vegetables. At the grocery store, encourage your kids to choose an exotic fruit or a grain they've never tasted.

Finally, don't class certain foods as "forbidden." It's okay for your kids (and you) to indulge in an occasional dessert, for example. This flexibility is what distinguishes the South Beach Diet from other weight-loss plans — and what makes it a lifestyle.