It’s never too late to teach your children well — well-being that is. Whether you’re raising toddlers or teens, or any age in between, you have the power and the ability to turn things around and instill healthy eating habits.

What your children consume today is the foundation for what they eat for the rest of their lives. Poor eating habits can lead to weight problems and weight-related health issues in your child’s future. Not only does this mean that obesity can be an issue, but also under-eating and being underweight can also become a lifelong challenge.

If you have a child with allergies, you’ll find that a wholesome diet of fresh foods will allow you to keep better track of what your child is eating. This also results in less searching through ingredients lists for pseudonyms of suspected allergens.

Changing your family’s practices and how they relate to food is a gradual process, doled out with huge doses of love and patience. Here are 10 steps you can take to convert the way your family relates to food.

1. Learn what foods and what amounts of those foods are needed to establish and maintain your children’s health at every age.

2. Go through your cupboards, refrigerator and freezer. Dispose of everything that doesn’t contribute to the nutritional well-being of your children. Those items have high-calorie contents and their nutritional value is next to nothing.

3. Replace unhealthy snacks. Instead of chips, pop and candy, serve no-salt tortilla chips with salsa, fresh fruit and raw vegetables. Encourage your children to drink more water.

4. Children as young as two or three can help prepare meals and snacks. Give them more responsibility according to their ages.

5. When did fast foods and ice cream stops become a daily pastime? By returning fast foods and certain other foods to special status, your family will learn to appreciate them as an occasional treat, instead of expecting them on a regular basis.

6. Visit area health food stores or the health food section of your supermarket to find ready-to-serve foods for those times when you can’t cook from scratch.

7. Keep in mind that fresh is best, frozen is good, and canned and processed foods should be your last choice.

8. Offer unusual foods. Buy fruits and vegetables you’ve never eaten. Cut them into small slices and set them out for snacks.

9. Follow tradition. Generations of parents have insisted that their children eat one forkful of every food at the table. If your child says no after tasting, don’t insist he or she eat more. But don’t let them overeat any one food. If they want more to eat, offer the foods they turned down once again.

10. Find ways to increase the nutritional value of foods you are already serving: Make mini-muffins using whole-wheat flour in place of half the white flour. Grate a carrot into your meatloaf mix. Cut back on the amount of meat in your lasagnas and substitute vegetables. Buy a whole-wheat pizza crust. Mix your own sauce, using a small can of tomato paste with water and herbs such as basil and oregano. Add lots of veggies and small amounts of cheese and meat.

Start changing what your family eats now. Include everyone in the planning and make it a gradual process. Your children are more likely to be receptive to your ideas for healthy eating. Begin giving your children, and yourself, a lifetime of good nutrition.