4 Tips on Eating Healthy as a Family

Eating healthy as a family is a great way to ensure that you and your children are receiving the right nutrition. However, if you’re regularly juggling several tasks in a hectic schedule, keeping track of your family’s food choices may be difficult. Here are some ways to eat healthily as a family.

1. Have Family Meals

If you wish to make healthy eating an affair for the entire family then you should consider making family meals a daily ritual. Studies have shown time and again that children who belong to families who make it a point to eat together are less likely to develop vices or bad habits such as using drugs, drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes and marijuana. These children are also more able to develop healthy eating habits such as eating vegetables and fruits, and less likely to snack on junk food. If you have teenagers who are not exactly thrilled at the thought of family meals, there are some things you can do to make family meals more enticing for them. For instance, encourage them to bring a friend over. Refrain from making meal times a chance to lecture or argue with your children. Keep the mood relaxed and fun. Dinners and weekends are usually the perfect time to have the family eat together.

2. Get Your Kids to Help in the Kitchen

If you have difficulty trying to get your children to eat healthier foods, get them to help you in preparing the meals. This will make the foods more enticing to your children. Take your children when you shop for groceries and point out the nutritious foods that they can choose from. In the kitchen, give your kids different tasks that they can handle. For instance, one child can be assigned to washing the vegetables and fruits while another one peels potatoes.

3. Replace Junk Food with Healthy Snacks

Cookies, soft drinks, candy bars, potato chips, donuts and the like are all popular snack foods, but they also contain very few nutrients and a high amount of calories, sugars and fats. If you want to encourage your family to avoid these snacks, eliminate these foods from the house. Your family is more likely to opt for these snacks when they are easily available. Instead, stock your fridge, cupboards and pantry with more nutritious snack foods like dried fruits, low-fat yogurt, nuts, fresh fruits and such. The next time your kids look for something they can snack on while watching TV or doing homework, they will have more nutritious snacks to choose from.

4. Be a Role Model

It’s difficult to get your family to eat better if you yourself are not able to drop bad eating habits. Your children, even your stubborn teens,  still look up to their parents for guidance. If you want your children to learn to eat a healthier diet, you have to lead the way. Make an agreement with your spouse to start eating right. Not only will you become a good influence to your children, but you will also be doing your health a favor.


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