For parents, keeping loved ones healthy is a full time job. But even when you’re armed with the best nutrition tips out there, helping your family stick to a balanced diet isn’t always a simple task. Especially when football practices, dance classes and work tasks are working against you. Just making time for family dinners can aid your kids eat more nutritional foods and maintain a healthy status.
1. Keep Ready-to-Eat foods in Plain Sight
Your family is more likely to grab fruits and vegetables over unhealthy choices if they’re always available right in front of them. Keep washed and prepped vegetables like cucumbers, peppers and carrots in the front of the fridge so they aren’t overlooked. Have a fruit bowl readily available with Apples, Bananas and Cherries!
2. Keep Salt off the Table
You already reduce the amount of sodium when you cook, but if you keep a salt-shaker on your kitchen table when eating you may be wasting your efforts. Instead of salt, set out lemon wedges, pepper and some herbs and spices. This way your family has healthy choices within reach when they want to add a new spark of flavor to their dish.
3. Be a Team Player
If your child or spouse expresses an interest in losing weight or changing diets, don’t ever straight up agree that they need to slim down. Research has learnt that this backfires, heading to even more weight gain. Instead, get the whole family to work together towards the goal. Working together as a family will always generate better results. It creates motivation and support, also it’s way more fun than going at it alone.
4. Don’t eat in front of the TV
Family dinners are great for improving overall health, but eating together by the TV doesn’t count. Why? When you’re paying attention to the screen, you’re not really paying attention to what or how much is going into your mouth. Eating around the table provides kids with an opportunity to ask questions and learn about what they’re eating.
5. Don’t Project
Are you a picky eater? Not a fan of vegetables? Don’t bring this to the table when eating with your kids, offer your little ones healthy foods even if you don’t like them. You never know if your kids will like it until you offer it to them, and the more nutritional foods they like, the better!
Even if you only try one of these tips, you’re aiding your family to have a healthier and happier future!
