Fixes for Your Family's Diet
By Sara Butler
Changing the way your family eats can be a big task. Aside from planning out the healthy snacks and meals you’re going to serve them, you also need to deal with the moans and groans associated with making a few changes. The secret to making a healthy switch is to implement small changes, gradually introducing healthier habits to your family. Here are a few tips to help you get started and hopefully keep the complaints to a minimum!
Lean Meat
One of the easiest ways to make a big difference is to serve leaner cuts of meat to your family. They may be a tad more expensive than fattier cuts of meat, but you can stretch them out and make them tender by employing a few tricks.
You can use ground meat but rinse it in a colander before serving to help drain away some of the fat. You can also use ground turkey instead of ground beef in recipes your family is less likely to notice, such as spaghetti sauce or chili. Also, try to substitute chicken instead of beef is a few recipes a week.
Add Vegetables
A lot of kids can be resistant to new vegetables in their food, but one way to get them more vegetables is to puree them. That way, you can add them to casseroles and sauces without your child being wise to it. Now, this may not be a great plan to teach them healthy eating, but it is a great way to get them extra vegetables with too much complaint. Encourage your child to try just one new vegetable a week along the way, too.
Make It From Scratch
While boxed dinners are easy and convenient, it’s far healthier to make a meal from scratch. That way, you can control all that goes into it. It’s also cheaper to make things from scratch, believe it or not. You don’t have to cook from scratch each night, but you can add a meal or two a week that you prepare all on your own to make your family meals healthier.
Drink Water
Everyone in your family should be drinking water at mealtime. There’s no reason not to because your kids don’t need soda or juice at meal time -- just water! Staying hydrated is very important and is a very important habit to teach your children.
Work together as a family to create healthy habits that will last a lifetime!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Fitchburg, Wis.