Healthy Family = Happy Family

A few weeks ago, cute Haley left a comment about how she could start making healthy changes for she and her family.  Here's her question word for word:

" I'm learning... slowly! Do you have a menu somewhere on your nutrition blog that shows roughly what you eat daily? I need some ideas of actually healthy food, but that isn't completely out of reach for someone like me who still uses regular flour and sugar, etc. Baby steps! :) I need to basically start from ground zero and work my way up. How have you learned what ingredients (types of flour, sweeteners for recipes, etc) to use?" 

I'll bet that almost everyone has felt this way at one time or another.  It can be overwhelming to change your family's diet, especially if you have older kids who aren't interested in trying to do things a different way.  Little kids typically don't mind the changes and seem to adapt much better.  When I first set out to clean up my family's diet, my oldest son was about 5 (he's 12 now).  I'm not going to lie, it was hard for him then and it's hard for him now.  He's super picky and would rather not eat than try something new.  Seriously.  It's bad.  I have to handle him with kid gloves (I'll do a post about dealing with picky eaters soon).  But I think the key is to go slow.  Change little things first and then you can move onto more substantial changes.  But remember, do what works for YOU.    

One of the things I told Haley was that I think it's important to teach kids about nutrition and the importance creating life long healthy habits.  Teaching is different than controlling.  I teach my kids about healthy habits and feed them good wholesome food at home.  And then?  I don't worry about it.  They are free to make their own food choices when they are at a restaurant or a party or whatever.  Do they always make healthy choices when they're away from home?  Haeeell no.  But I really don't care because I know that the bulk of their diet is generally very clean.  It's not worth it to me for it to become a power struggle.  Someday I know they'll catch on to the idea that food should be used to nourish and fuel their bodies, and that the only way to do that is to make healthy choices.  But for now, I do what I can do when we're eating at home (which is almost always) and then I let them take the reins.  I don't want resentful kids.  I want capable, self-aware, health-conscious kids.    

Okay.  So.  You're starting from "ground zero."  How exactly is this supposed to work?  Actually, there are some easy things you can do starting today that will get you and your family on the path to healthier eating.  Here's a start quick list:

*Switch to unsweetened nut butters and unsweetened jams & jelly's.  

*Have your kids help you pick out some fun breakfast cereals with 5g of sugar or less (these days my limit is 3g and nobody really seems to notice or care).  

*Pack lunches for them instead of letting them eat school lunch. I know, it takes extra time and is a wee bit more expensive, but it's worth it in the long run.  Make their lunches fun and exciting and you probably won't get as much push-back as you might think.  I do let my kids look at the school lunch menu and choose 2 days that month that they might like to have school lunch.  It's become a perfect way for us to talk about the difference between carbs/fats/proteins, and it gives them a chance to put their knowledge to work for them.  Do they always choose what they agree to when we discuss it?  I have no idea.  That part is up to them.  Remember, we're teaching, not controlling.

*Make quick, healthy breakfasts an absolute MUST.  Get up 10 minutes earlier if you have to, but make sure everyone eats a healthy, nourishing breakfast.  One thing I do to make this happen is prepare early in the week.  On Sunday or Monday, I make a few batches of protein waffles, protein pancakes, super charged granola, or oatmeal jars (sometimes all of those things).  That way, there's no excuse.  The kids can just grab whatever I've made out of the freezer, throw it in the toaster or microwave, and add some fruit and nut butter.  Sometimes they actually like to take that stuff to school for lunch too.  BONUS!

*Know your meal options. It might surprise you to hear this, but I don't spend much time making fancy dinners.  I prefer to keep it as simple as possible.  Sometimes that means picking up a few decent-ish frozen meals from Whole Foods or Trader Joes for those extra crazy nights when I'm chauffeuring until 8:00.  We've chosen a busy, sometimes hectic lifestyle, and feeling like I had to make a perfectly balanced gourmet dinner every night would land me in the loony bin.  I do make sure that all of our meats, cheeses, and eggs are organic, but other than that, SIMPLICITY is the name of the game.  Some of my dinner staples are (and these might surprise you): 
-turkey burgers with fresh veggies or sweet potato fries  
-soba noodles with marinara sauce and chicken (our take on Chicken Parmesan) 
-baked salmon with a sauteed vegetable mix 
-scrambled eggs, toast, and fresh strawberries (no joke, we eat it at least once a week)
-grilled chicken breasts, asparagus spears, & brown rice (another easy favorite)
-breakfast burritos with turkey bacon and fresh vegetables
-steak, baked potatoes & steamed broccoli (organic, grass fed beef is pricey, so we do this maybe once a month)
-oatmeal bar (we love this so much we had it on Christmas morning).
-turkey sandwiches
Simple, right?  Seriously, dinner doesn't have to be impossible. Go back to the basics.  You'll be surprised how easy it can be.  

*Be prepared.  This one is the most important of all.  I can give you eleventy-million reasons NOT to eat fast food.  And yet, I occasionally find myself resorting to Wendy's.  Why?  Because I wasn't prepared.  I didn't think through the week and prepare the way I should have.  That's truly the ONLY reason I ever end up in a drive through.  Well, that and the fact that sometimes things just don't go the way you planned.  But here's where the concept of eating 90% clean 100% of the time comes into play.  If you're feeding your family clean, wholesome foods 90% of the time, those occasional emergency runs to Arby's don't matter.  Really, they don't.  Sometimes even the most prepared people scrap the plan and head to the nearest drive-through.  Try your best to stick to the plan and have healthy foods ready to go.  And then just roll with the punches as they come.  If you're prepared, they won't come very often.

I'll do another post about the next round of steps to take in healthifying your family, but I honestly feel like the steps I've listed here will make the biggest difference.  Maybe don't try to change them all at once.  Pick one or two to focus on, and when you feel like you have those down, add a few more.  Be patient and forgiving with yourself, and have fun figuring this stuff out!  Let me know how it goes.