As a parent, ensuring a healthy diet for your family is a full-time job. Nutrition plays a huge role when it comes to the health of your family. But feeding your family a healthy diet is no easy task. Apart from equipping yourself with the best nutrition and diet tips, getting your family to stick to a balanced diet can be challenging, especially if you have to balance between work, business, and everyday activities.
Well, it’s not as challenging as you may think. You just need to make some small and simple changes in your daily routine such as making time for family meals. Although research has shown that eating more fruits, whole grains and vegetables can be healthy, many children, especially in the developed countries are still spending money on junk food. This has made many children in the ages of 4 to 12 become vulnerable to overweight and obese. Although a healthy and active lifestyle can prevent health issues like heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes and more here are eight tips to maintain a healthy diet for your family.
- Add a Variety of Food
Chances are that you are used to certain foods in your daily meals. You need to introduce new foods to your menu in addition to those you already have as standbys. Of course, your children and other members of the family might not like some of the new food you introduce, try to let them understand how beneficial the foods are to their wellbeing.
In this case, you should not allow your children to dictate the food to eat but do not force them to eat something they are not comfortable with.
- Introduce Fiber
According to a study by testCountry.com, eating more fiber helps to reduce fat and sugar cravings. The good thing about foods that contain fiber is that they contain fewer calories and the digestion system takes longer to digest them which means none of your family will overeat. Fiber is also thought to be helpful when it comes to regulating blood sugar and insulin levels.
- Say no to Sweet Foods
It’s not a question but people love sweet foods. Everyone enjoys foods that taste good, and that’s a fact. However, you need to cut down on sweets, limit sugars. Remember, children prefer sweets than healthier foods so you will need to make them understand that it’s for the benefit of their health.
- Cut Down on Sugary Drinks
According to a study, sweet drinks can cause obese, particularly in children. The more your children continue to drink soda or other sugary beverages, the more the risk of obesity increases. So, you need to limit soda and other sugary beverages and encourage your children to drink more water.
- Replace Refined Grains with Whole Grains
This is where you need to give your children carbs, especially oats, quinoa, and barley which are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
- Avoid Eating from Boxes
Most people will just grab a chip bag or a box of cereal, open it and start eating right away. This way, you cannot tell how much you are putting into your mouth. In fact, it becomes difficult to stop and before you realize it, the box is kaput.
The best thing to do is to serve portions of the snacks on a plate for yourself and your children, then sit comfortably and eat together. This way, you will control what you and your kids put in the mouth.
- Eat One Fruit or Vegetable at Each Meal
If you are going to eat snacks, ensure to follow it with a fruit or vegetable and the same applies to each meal you eat. Note that you should not eat only one type of fruit or vegetable, you should try to eat a variety to enable you and your family to reap the benefits of each. You could allow your children to decide which fruits or veggies to eat.
- Eat at least a Meal a Day With Your Family
The best way you can connect and catch up with your family is during family meals. In fact, the recommended way is to focus on family time more than on food. Studies show that when families eat together, eat more fruits or veggies, consume foods less in calories and limit sugary foods and drinks, their health is enhanced.
Immediately your baby starts eating solid healthy food, teach them to sit with you at the table during mealtime. This helps them interact with the family members and understand what a healthy diet entails.
To Summarize…
Although maintaining a healthy diet for your family could be challenging, especially for busy parents, employing these eight tips in your daily routine can help significantly.
