This is a post from Melissa Ringstaff of A Virtuous Woman
I’m on a mission to change how we eat.
I’ve been concerned with what my family eats for a lot of years now. Eating healthy {and then eating even healthier} is a process. Yes, you can decide to cut out entire food groups or processed foods all at once – I’ve done it. However, more than likely getting from Point A {where you are now} to Point B {where you want to be} will take time – especially if you’re new to eating healthy.
How to Transition to Eating Healthy
So how do you transition to a healthier diet if you’re used to eating not so healthy? I’m so glad you asked!
- Realize there is a learning curve. You will need to find new recipes and test them out. This takes time. That’s okay! Any time you are learning something new, there will be time involved. But it is time well spent. And before you know it, you’ll have a good repertoire of healthy recipes your family loves that are easy to prepare.
- Get your family on board. Make learning more about health fun! Always be learning something new. Read, read, read. Educate yourself. Share what you learn with your family. Ask for their ideas when planning your new healthier menu.
- Change your shopping habits. Read labels! These days my husband and I rarely move past the produce aisle. Aside from whole grains, beans, and sugar free juices, we don’t spend much time walking down the grocery aisles! It’s easier to cook healthy if you have no other choice when you open the cupboard.
- Get your kids involved. I know, sometimes having the little ones {or bigger ones} in the kitchen while you are trying to get a meal on the table adds more work and takes longer than if you just did everything yourself. But, when you let your kids have a hand in what they’re eating, they’ll be more inclined to try new foods.
- Shop together. Like I said before – when you allow your children to have a part in eating healthier, they’ll feel more inclined to try new foods. Make shopping for new foods an adventure. Get excited about food and your children will be excited, too.
- Explore the world through food. I love preparing ethnic dishes from around the world. My children are used to trying new foods because not a week goes by that we eat the same foods every day. I try new recipes several times a week.
- Talk about health and nutrition on a frequent basis. Share what you’re learning about health with your family. Talk about why it’s important to eat healthy. Talk about what foods that aren’t good for you do to your body. If you don’t know, learn! Talk about diseases and watch videos on healthy eating like Food, Inc. or Forks Over Knives.
- Praise your children for being willing to try new tastes. Let them know you’re proud of them. And let them see you love your veggies.
- Don’t allow picky eaters. Fruits and vegetables should not be an option. In my house, each of my children has one or two foods they don’t care for. When they were younger I required them to eat something over everything. As they’ve gotten older, I’ve respected their dislikes, but they still have to eat their veggies. If my children turned their nose up to several vegetables I wouldn’t allow them to skip out on everything. For one it’s coleslaw, another it’s raw tomatoes, and for another it’s olives. Aside from that, they have to eat a few bites of everything I serve.
- Know it takes 28 days to change your taste buds. It is possible! I became a vegetarian over 15 years ago and my three oldest children all stopped eating meat at the same time. Foods I used to love no longer have an appeal and I don’t crave foods I thought I could never give up. Not only that, but I learned to love foods that I previously did not enjoy.
Transitioning to a healthier diet takes time and patience. Just like with any value you work to instill in your children, the best way to teach them is by example. Eat healthy yourself and your family will be inspired. My children like spinach, beets, cabbage, and beans. In fact, they pretty much like most everything I feed them.
Expose your family to new tastes and a variety of foods from early on and they’ll be more likely to love healthy foods.