I'm a bit passionate about food. Yes, I'm a foodie. I'm a healthy foodie. Mostly. Unless I'm attacked by an apple pie or 7 layer chocolate cake. I'd describe myself as a 90% clean / whole food eater which I would loosely define as eating (and serving my family) whole grains, proteins, fruits and veggies, and foods without mystery ingredients on the labels. I strongly believe that as a parent, I am responsible to expose my boys to and teach them healthy habits in all areas - emotionally, spiritually, and physically. This drives me to strive for health and balance in these areas as well.
Food is definitely my love language. Not only do my taste buds delight in scrumptious tasties but my heart revels in bringing others joy by cooking for them. And who can't use a little more joy?
Food is definitely my love language. Not only do my taste buds delight in scrumptious tasties but my heart revels in bringing others joy by cooking for them. And who can't use a little more joy?
 |
| photo: fancycrave |
These are my non-professional and easy suggestions for making healthier food choices:
1) Educate yourself. Just a bit at a time. Apply what you are learn- don't just read without application. This is a waste of time in any area of life. Pinterest offers endless resources on reading nutrition labels, understanding GMO's, when to buy organic, cooking basics, and more! If you'd like to check out my food or health boards on Pinterest, feel free! I pin a variety of recipes (healthy and unhealthy) for food and beverage as well as tips on overall wellness.
Begin sharing what you learn with your kids ("Hey- guess what I learned today...") and discuss your excitement about making healthier choices. Refer to healthier choices as a lifestyle change, not a diet. The word 'diet' may make kids feel unnecessarily self-conscious about themselves and the food they eat. Food is meant to be enjoyed. So enjoy it and don't obsess over it. Obsessing leads to emotional highs and lows, self-esteem issues, devaluing oneself, and wasting mental energy that could be spent on better things.
2) Read labels. It's important to start reading and understanding the nutrition labels of your foods. It'll take a little time to understand them at first but your family's health is worth it! Avoiding foods with multiple ingredients is key, especially if you don't even know what the ingredients are! This means taking a step back from a lot of processed foods.
 |
| photo: fancycrave |
But keep in mind that adding great eggs to your diet doesn't undo other unhealthy habits no more than taking a daily multi-vitamin does. Yes, there are benefits to making healthy choices but those healthy choices are not hall passes for other unhealthy choices. This type of mentality is just as silly as saying, "I just ran five miles so I deserve a candy bar and french fries."
4) Meal plan as a family. Print off a calendar like this one and write meals down on specific days in pencil so you can change the menu, if needed. Try planning one night a week for a specific genre of food. Mexican Monday, Soup Tuesdays, Breakfast Wednesdays, etc. Browse through recipes on Pinterest or your favorite cook book. Write down the name of the meal and where to find the recipe (page number, etc) or create a special Pinterest board for those specific recipes. I've made the mistake of NOT writing down where I found the recipe and then wasted time searching all over again.
Include family members in the meal-planning process by asking them to pick two dinners for the menu. Don't forget to plan easy meals or 'leftover nights' for the busiest nights of the week.
As you meal plan, keep a running list of ingredients you need to make the various recipes. This makes shopping a LOT easier! You'll find some fantastic printable shopping lists at Today's Moma.
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to plan! Without a plan, you'll get discouraged and eventually give up altogether. You deserve better and your family deserves better!
"Failing to plan is planning to fail". - Alan Lakein
5) Cook as a family. If the kids are old enough, give them a night of the week (or two) where they take a turn in the kitchen. You'll obviously need to supervise. If you don't know how to cook, you can learn right along with them! When you are personally invested in making something you'll be more excited to eat it. This is true of adults AND kids.
6) Eat as a family. While planning and cooking meals together is tremendously bonding and often frustrating (but worth it), I cannot encourage families enough to eat as many meals together as possible. And set aside the electronic devices. This is one of the healthiest choices you'll ever make! Don't believe me? Research it.
 |
| photo: fancycrave |
7) Laugh. There's a learning curve to everything! It takes a long time to become familiar with new ways of cooking, shopping, and meal planning. There is power in positivity. You're the adult - you get to set the standard and the tone.
“Happiness is a state of mind, a choice, a way of living;
it is not something to be achieved,
it is something to be experienced.”
Bon Appetit!
---
Please share your comments, questions or favorite suggestions for eating healthy!
Resources:
*Article - Why Eating Healthy is Important
*If you want to get geeky about your eggs - 7 Ways to Cook Eggs to Maximize Nutrition
*Article from PBS - The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 of Produce.
*Link to my Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/meladair/
No comments:
Post a Comment