Develop a Healthy Family Diet
Anyone with kids knows how it goes. If your kids eat fries, you’re eating fries. If their daily go-to is pizza, it’s hard to resist. Eating healthier as a family can be the first step in improving your own habits. Make your next trip to Walmart a mini-makeover for your family pantry with some new options everyone will like. Here’s how to work your way up slowly, with ideas for everyone from your pickiest little eaters to yourself.
Get Everyone Involved
The key to eating healthier is getting everyone involved. Let the kids help by thumbing through your cookbooks, finding recipes online or tearing pages from magazines. Bring them along when you go food shopping and encourage them to help you fill the cart. Make it a game for them to help you pick out one new fruit or vegetable to try each week.Once you get home, put those little hands to work rinsing fruits and veggies and stirring whatever needs to be stirred.
Be Reasonable with Diet Goals
Set your family up for success. Diet goals can be tailored to each family member and to the family as a whole. Diet goals can be tailored to each family member and to the family as a whole. Stay realistic about what you can achieve. Maybe you aren't ready to skip the candy at the movies, but you can share it or eat a smaller portion. Instead of eliminating fast food, cut down on the number of times each month. Or next time you make your favorite stir fry, give brown rice a try. Stay positive about your progress and don't give up when inevitable set-backs or splurges occur.
Take It One Step (and Bite) at a Time
Healthier habits don't happen overnight. Start with a few tweaks at a time. Commit to milk or water instead of soft drinks at one meal per day. Or work your way down gradually from whole milk to 2% to 1% or skim. Substitute fruit for the usual afternoon snack. Or tempt your youngest fridge-raiders with 100% fruit juice boxes splashed with cartoon characters.
Build on the Positives
Add more fruit and vegetables to the foods your family already likes. Start with puréed fruits in baked goods and desserts. Include chopped veggies in pasta sauce, lasagna, casseroles, soups and chili. Stack shredded carrots and lettuce into a typical sandwich or toss bananas and strawberries on cereal.
Mix Up Your Healthy Menus
Use the element of surprise. Breakfast doesn't always have to be the first meal of the day. You can make your healthy meal ideas work at different times. Consider serving whole-grain cereals and toast for afternoon snacks. Make that yummy breakfast burrito for dinner one night. Or test out a veggie-cheese casserole option one morning before school.
Try a Meatless Meal
Remember meat isn't a "have to" – even for dinner. Skipping the meat now and then is a healthy option. You can also save money by replacing it with other high-protein foods like eggs or beans that cost less. Try substituting beans, refried beans or even tofu in your favorite pasta dishes, like lasagna.
Offer a Choice of Sides
"That looks funny." "That smells funny." Sound familiar? Your kids' tastes can be changed over time. Begin by asking them to take a small bite of a new vegetable. Offer choices – like pairing familiar baby carrots with broccoli – that let them feel in control. Always be willing to move on to another vegetable until you find the "right" ones. Make vegetables more convenient, too. Keep crunchy, raw, cut-up vegetables in kid-friendly bags in the front of the fridge for grab-and-go snacks.
Make Healthy Food Fun
With a little creativity, even cauliflower can be interesting. Encourage your kids to play with their healthy foods like veggies, making funny faces or animals out of the pieces on their plates. Invest in some cookie cutters for whole-grain sandwiches or low-fat cheese slices. Pick up some special parfait glasses for fruit and yogurt layers or fruit smoothies. Adding dips to the menu can also liven up mealtime. Warm up peanut butter in the microwave as a dip for apples or serve yogurt as a dip for fresh fruit.
Make Good Choices Stand Out
Imagine a huge pile of cakes and cookies on your counter at all times. Who wouldn't go for it? First, try to limit the splurge items you have on hand. Instead, keep healthy snacks in places you and your family are most likely to head for a snack. Place a bowl of fresh fruit in the kitchen and family rooms. Keep pre-cut veggies front and center in the fridge.
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