One of the hardest things for me about losing weight has been figuring out how to do it with my family. They key is making changes that everyone can enjoy, and promotes good health. The sooner you start eating the right things the faster your whole family gets used to it.
Check out these tips to change your family’s eating habits for the better.
Know Where Your Extra Calories Come From
First things first. You have to get a sense of where your problems areas are. Try to keep track of what everyone eats for a few days. Don’t worry too much about details; just get a sense of it. Is the problem what you cook? What you order? What you drink? Huge desserts? Who is eating the most/the least, the best? Know your enemies and use the rest of these tips to fight them.
Whole Grain Foods are Your Friend
Processed or refined grains (cereal pasta) and other foods made with white flour have a high glycemic index, low fiber content, and less vitamins and minerals as those made from whole grains. Switching to whole grain foods (whole grain pasta, brown rice, and whole grain cereals) are a quick and healthy way to make your family’s diet more nutritious. Find brands that taste good and are easy to prepare. We love brown basmati rice.
Fruits and Vegetables are the Best
Most people don’t eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. That usually means we’re eating too much of other things. But beyond maintaining a healthy weight, fruits and vegetables are necessary for growing children. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be expensive, so stock up on frozen varieties and typically skip the cans. Fruits and veggies have lots of fiber and tons of important vitamins and minerals we all need. And because they’re low in fat you can eat more fruits and vegetables to help you to feel full to avoid overeating.
Sodas and Fruit Drinks are NOT Your Friend
While they are tasty and fun, soda and fruit drinks have very low nutritional value and a lot of empty calories. At about 150 calories per 12 ounce serving, your family could gain an extra pound about every 3 weeks from drinking one can of soda a day.
Cutting back or eliminating soda, fruit drinks, and even fruit juice, can be a good way to get rid of a lot of extra calories and leave room for more nutritious foods. Save them for special occasions.
Eat Healthy When Eating Out
Sure, with some planning its kind of easy to have healthy eating habits at home. If there’s only good stuff in the refrigerator and cupboards, that’s what you get. But once you and your family leave the house things get harder. Help your kids learn good habits by finding the healthiest options in restaurants – fast food and otherwise. Actually read the nutritional content of the foods in your favorite restaurants. Sometimes what they call healthy really isn’t.
If you follow these tips you can make a change in the way your family eats. This will help you reach your weight loss goals, and keep your whole family healthy and happy.
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