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Best Ways to Get Your Family Eating Better

Your family eats what you feed them. If you stock the pantry and the refrigerator with convenience foods, sugary snacks, and soft drinks, your household will be more likely to consume them for the simple fact that they’re available. Wanting to get your family on the right track with eating better is a wonderful goal to have, but it does require patience and commitment. Your family may not be too thrilled with the idea at first, but set a positive example for everyone and keep at it.  

Stop Buying Junk Food 

Buying the right groceries is the key to eating better. Filling your grocery cart with chips, candy, soda, and other junk foods may seem like an impossible habit to break but it can be done. It helps to dedicate time to writing out a well-thought-out grocery list and sticking to it when you’re in the store. You obviously don’t want to starve your family, but finding healthier alternatives to the snacks they gravitate towards the most is key. It will also make a huge difference to cook most of your meals rather than eating out. These changes may be met with defiance, but you can help educate your children on the importance of eating a well-balanced diet instead of giving in.

Use Quality Meats

You can improve the taste of the meals you make with quality pork products and other meats. Meat is an excellent source of protein, and it’s high in iron, and vitamin B-12. You should try to stick to non-processed meats because buying food with the smallest number of ingredients puts you more in control over what you put in your body. You can also aim to eat more grass-fed beef because it allows you to consume healthier animals, which in turn, can make you healthier as well. Small fish are also good to consume if you’re looking for quality meats because they are high in omega-3 fats.  

Load Up on Fruits and Veggies 

Junk food should be replaced with fresh fruits and vegetables. In fact, the meals you make should have more vegetables than anything else. Fruits and veggies are a good way to help satisfy your hunger so you don’t end up craving something unhealthy. You can encourage your children to eat these healthier options when you start serving them as snacks. Always keep fruit washed and ready to be eaten so it’s more convenient for your children to grab something quickly when they’re hungry. You can also start serving salads more and help your children understand a good amount of salad dressing to use. 

Decrease Portion Size 

You and your family may be used to eating larger portion sizes but decreasing these is definitely worth the effort, even if it takes some getting used to. For some time after making the change, you may find your tummy growling after a meal, and that’s completely normal. 

It can be hard to know exactly how much food you need, and it can help to start counting your calories and portioning out your food. It may seem like a huge inconvenience to measure out your foods and keep track of what you eat, but it’ll become a habit after a while. When it comes to reducing your food portions, you can make half your plate of food veggies and you can also include some type of protein with every snack and meal. 

Children often learn by example, and if they see you consciously making better choices when it comes to eating, they’ll likely end up doing the same. If your family puts up resistance with the food changes, keep reminding yourself that the pros of these changes will always outweigh any of the cons.  

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