Healthy Eating for Families

Have your kids ever given you a funny look when you tried to feed them broccoli? Has your spouse scrunched up his or her face in horror at the tofu casserole you laid out before them and suggested eating out? Needless to say, eating healthy can be challenging, especially for the whole family. Don’t make it more challenging than you have to.

The first thing you need to do is familiarize yourself with basic nutrition. Once you do, you’ll have a pretty good idea right off the bat whether certain foods are good or bad. Fried foods are obviously not your best bet for healthy eating, whereas it’s hard to miss with green, leafy vegetables. However, you need to go farther and get into the habit of reading nutrition labels. What is a recommended serving size? (English and Spanish PDFs) What’s really in that box of cereal on the grocery store shelf?

An equally important component is time. We have busy schedules. We’re tired, and it’s so much easier to just toss something in the microwave. In order to eat healthy, you’ll need to plan ahead. Try to do as much of the preparation as you can beforehand. Pick out what meals you want to have and prepare a menu, so you have the ingredients you need when you need them.

Try to get the whole family involved. Do the Word Scramble together! Plan things together and let each family member have a say in what goes on the table. That way you’re likely to get more cooperation for your healthy eating plan and maybe even a little help with the cooking. It sure beats those looks of horror.