Many people struggle with getting their entire family on board with eating healthy meals. You may even be one of these people. Just think about your family’s eating habits. What are family favorites? For instance, does everyone in the family get excited for Chicken Fried Steak, Pizza or Fried Chicken? Or, does each family member prefer something different to eat every night, making your job tougher because you’re preparing 3-4 different meals? These habits are usually good indicators of unhealthy eating habits.
You’re probably wondering why “stir the pot” when everyone is happy with their unhealthy eating patterns? There are several benefits associated with getting everyone on the same page and excited about eating healthy.
· When everyone has the same goal in mind in regards to food choices, it’s easier for everyone to eat healthier because you have a “support group” of sorts. Also, everyone is willing to help out whether it’s with making the grocery list or doing the actual grocery shopping.
· You’ll save money as you’ll be able to cook a meal for everyone at once, and not individual meals, making this a much more economical solution.
· Mealtimes will be more enjoyable as there won’t be any complaining.
Below are a few ideas for how you can get everyone on board for healthy eating:
Be Persistent – Just because your family says they don’t want something, doesn’t mean you can’t fix it. It has been shown, especially with younger children and even spouses, that when one continues to prepare and serve a “disliked” food on a regular basis, it can result in gradual acceptance. So, be persistent in serving healthy meals.
Hide the Veggies – If your family doesn’t like vegetables, it’s okay – you can always sneak them into their food. There are a lot of cookbooks out there (Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld) that have recipes with pureed vegetables for picky eaters. For example, you can make brownies with pureed spinach without anyone knowing any different! Below are a few additional tips for hiding veggies:
· Place spaghetti sauce (from the jar) into the blender and throw in a few steamed (or raw) vegetables of your choice. Just blend until smooth. Your family won’t have a clue!
· Finely chop various vegetables and add to the top of pizza. Things such as broccoli, spinach, onions and green pepper work great.
Take it in Small Steps – Getting your family on board to eat healthy may be a gradual process and take extra time. Therefore, don’t be on constant patrol for family members eating junk food – if you push too hard, you may have a riot on your hands. Instead, take it slow and start with one food at a time. For instance, making homemade bread is an easy way to make the transformation from store-bought bread to healthy, whole bread. You can also switch other small things out at first like buying all natural peanut butter instead of the regular kind.
Be an Encourager – Find little ways to encourage your family members to eat healthy. If your husband likes to grill, take advantage of this by asking him to create a new healthy meal on the grill. To get young children, and possibly older ones, interested in eating healthier, encourage them to help you start a vegetable garden. Let the kids each pick out a vegetable they’d like to grow. When you notice your kids eating or preparing something healthy, praise them for it! Encouragement will get you much further than nagging will.
