A new year has begun, and many people are looking for ways to make the new year a healthy one. Millions of households want to commit to helping their families live healthier lives, and now is the perfect time to get started. Eating healthy is essential as what you eat becomes what fuels your body. If you put in the wrong or lousy fuel, your body will not function as it should. Your diet plays a large role in your overall health and preparing healthy meals for yourself and your family will help keep everyone in their best shape. However, if you find yourself facing some bodily oddities, go here to learn more about yeast overgrowth and other common issues that can be connected to diet, but otherwise, keep reading to learn more about how to make healthy meals that will still taste good and that your family will enjoy.
Make It Fun
Eating healthy might be a reasonably easy choice for adults, but convincing kids to get on board with a healthy diet may be a bit harder. There is a reason kids are globally known for not liking their vegetables, and it can be hard to convince kids who don’t understand why eating healthy is important, but less conventional or more ginger approaches may have more success. You may not be able to convince your kids to eat healthy with just logic and facts, but if you make it fun or a game, they may be more interested. Try reward charts for not complaining and eating all of their dinners, including healthy foods they may not care for. You can also ask your kids what rewards or games they would like most, but make it clear that adding healthy foods to their diet is a requirement for the game. Giving kids some element of choice or control makes them more invested, so don’t just force healthy foods on your kids, but instead, get them to at least meet you halfway. Let your kids choose between apples or celery with peanut butter for a midday snack; the choice gives your kid some agency, but either choice is still healthy.
Whole Grain Replacement
Grains and bread are staples in most diets, but processed and refined grains are not the healthiest option. Sadly, processed and refined grains are in various foods, from pizzas to bread, cereals, chips, pasta, and many more everyday products. However, there are often whole grain or quinoa alternatives to products with processed and or refined grains. Whole grains do taste different from the refined grains your family are used to, but the new flavor can be a nice change of pace. Brown rice and quinoa are popular alternatives for people who don’t like the taste of whole grain. You can also replace refined flours with buckwheat or gluten-free options. It may take some searching to find the right replacement, but you can replace unhealthy grains without giving up your families’ favorite foods.
The Power Of Portions And Snacks
Eating healthy is certainly about what you eat, but it is also about how much you eat. Regularly eating too much of healthy foods still leads to weight gain and other bodily tissues, making portion control and smart snacks even more critical. Prepare a healthy meal with plenty of protein and vegetables, but do not stuff yourself. Eat until you feel full, but not beyond that point, and encourage your family to forego stuffing themselves at every meal. Smaller portions during meals will help you eat less while still getting the nutrients you need. If you feel hungry between meals, reach for a small healthy snack like nuts or an apple. This is easier to do if you only have healthy options in the house, so wherever shops for household groceries sets the tone from healthy snacks.
Moving to a healthy diet is hard enough to do for yourself, but getting your whole family to eat healthily is a much bigger task. Adults should understand the medical science behind eating healthier, but that same reasoning might not make sense to a child. Use fun games to encourage kids to eat foods they don’t prefer, but do not force the foods on them as that will only create more resistance; give your kids some agency and let them pick between healthy options, so they feel like they are part of this change too. Replace processed and refined grains and flours with whole grain or other healthier alternatives. Don’t forget portion sizes and healthy snacking habits, as neglecting those two areas can undo all your hard work to prepare healthy meals.
