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Getting your children to eat healthily is easier said than done. Given a choice between broccoli and carrots or chips and ice cream, most kids would definitely choose the latter over the former.
Thankfully, there are various ways to convince the youngsters to eat healthy without having to get rid of that sugary goodness they crave. With a little creativity, a little planning, and a lot of love, you can turn those nasty, icky, green veggies into tasty treats that children everywhere will happily feast on.
Plan Your Groceries Accordingly
Examine your pantry: does it contain plenty of snacks ranging from potato chips to fructose-heavy sweets? Children are notorious foragers for junk food. If they see something that looks colorful and tasty, they will definitely find and eat it, no matter how carefully it’s hidden.
By grocery shopping for healthy and nutritious foods, you’ll stock your cupboard with tasty and wholesome munchies. And hey, don’t stress yourself out if your family’s appetite becomes a little too indulgent. This can be beneficial, especially if you’re avoiding processed food filled with artificial preservatives.
Here’s a quick tip: try baking oat and raisin cookies. Stimulate your children’s taste buds and imaginations by involving them in the creation process. Watch their eyes light up as they realize the magic of transforming ordinary ingredients into chewy, delectable desserts.
Bad Stuff Out, Good Stuff In
Tired of the same old recipes? Switch up your usual ingredients and indulge your inner Martha Stewart. Swap regular pasta with whole-grain or replace white bread with brown loaves made from rye or wholemeal flour. This will do wonders for digestion and weight loss. For parents with an insanely busy schedule, fruit smoothies are a delicious and simple way to encourage a vigorous diet. For example, smoothies made from kale, spinach, and acai juice can boost energy and reduce inflammation. Sporty kids enrolled in athletic clubs will gain a competitive edge over their classmates with these effortless juicing recipes that can be done in less than a minute.
Get Planning!
Any parent knows that disorganization breeds laziness. We’ve all been there, after all. Having trouble whipping up a home-cooked meal after overtime at the office? Faced with day-to-day stresses, most parents would be tempted to pop a frozen tray of TV dinner into the microwave. This can be remedied with a little planning, especially during the weekends. Taking at least one hour to arrange a meal schedule will save a lot of time in the long run, allowing you to shop for groceries and prepare fresh meals.
Snack Time
Don’t just focus on dinner time, either. Introducing healthy eating means more than shoveling green beans onto your kids’ plates during dinner. Incorporating healthy choices requires a holistic focus that affects their daily dietary needs. Consider their packed lunches, regular snacks, and breakfast as opportunities to introduce fruits, dairy, and good grains. Munchies such as energy bars, protein chips, protein cookies, shakes, smoothies, meal replacement snacks, turkey and cheese sticks, and carrots with a healthy dip are some of the many creative choices you can make lickety-split.
Once you’ve got a plan locked down and all the food ready to go, you’ll find no room for poor decisions. Engage with your children, too, and inspire them to love the process of preparing meals. If they decide they want pizza next Thursday, then swap take-out for a fun make-at-home session with all the toppings they want!