Rochester's Healthy Hero - Bryce Family

Eating healthy can sometimes be a challenge. One local family shows there are simple ways to manage what you eat--- without sacrificing foods you love. Ashley Zilka has this month's Healthy Hero.

Many foods that people think are healthy aren't...due to some surprise ingredients. That's what Lori Bryce and her family discovered after taking time to read food labels. Now, that practice has become a part of their routine. But that's not the only way the Bryce's manage what they eat.

"We start with smaller plates and we have the kids scoop up their dinner on their own and they just put on what they think they can eat and they are always welcome to grab more but we just try to put less quantity and also less processed on our plate."

Lori, her husband Roger and their three children also follow what they call "the half plate" rule. It allows them to keep a balanced diet. Lori says they buy a variety of local fruits and vegetables in the summer and freeze them.

"Often times, we will try to fill at least half of our plate with fruits and vegetables and the other half will be split between some carbohydrates or some protein."

As far as staying active, Lori and her family combine exercise with healthy eating. She says her husband and children especially enjoy running and long distance cycling.

"We often ride for treats because we are kind of an all in moderation family. We will ride our bikes down the canal and grab an ice cream cone and ride home, so we try not to avoid all of the sweets; we just try to eat them in moderation."

Hectic schedules cause some families to find it hard to stay healthy...but the Bryce's see it as an opportunity.

"I think having the kids only keeps us more active. They are involved in baseball games and summer camps and some tennis playing, so we tend to join in with them and try to participate to stay healthy."