6 Simple Ways to Help Your Family Eat Healthier

If you can help your children to adopt a wholesome diet when they are young, you really help set them up for a lifetime of healthy living. Here are six simple ways to help you create healthier meals and snacks for your family. nn1. Be the change. One of the most important things that you can do is to adopt healthy changes yourself. When you begin to eat more healthy foods, you will naturally exude more energy and you will likely be excited to share the abundance of fruits, vegetables, whole grain, and lean protein with those you love. Even without setting new eating rules, your family will begin to take note of positive changes that you experience. Modeling healthy behaviors will go a long way in helping your children to adopt these new lifestyle choices themselves. nn2. Don't preach. While it's important to let your family know why you are working to create a more healthful family diet, be careful not to preach. When parents spend too much time vociferously extolling the virtues of peas, carrots, brussel sprouts and broccoli, it can turn off even the most open-minded kids (and spouses). Start slow and take your time. Let the new dishes speak for themselves sometimes. nn3. Make fruits and vegetables easily accessible. Our kitchen table centerpiece is a heaping mound of bananas, avocado, tomatoes, clementines, apples, and lemons. It's colorful, and my kids have been known to eat a tomato whole, like an apple. We find that, when it's in front of them and it looks appealing, they are more likely to eat it. nn4. Eat meat in realistic portions. If your family eats meat, keep in mind that a recommended serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards. Help your kids fill up with vegetables and whole grain side dishes instead. nn5. Think variety. The next time you are at the supermarket together, ask each family member to choose a different fruit or vegetable, perhaps one that no one has tried before. When kids start to open their eyes beyond the veggies that they may have a particular aversion to, a whole new world can open up to them. nn6. The only way to ensure that your kids will eat more healthy snacks is to rid your cupboards of most of the junk snack foods. Of course, the changes that you make might have more staying power if you make the changes gradually. Don't eliminate all the junk food in your home at once, for example, and make small changes to rituals such as family pizza night, so that you all adopt a more healthful attitude over time. In doing so, you are modeling balance and moderation to your children, which will serve them well for years to come.