Being a mom is one of life’s great gifts. Not only do you get to grow a person, you also get to raise a curious and loving child. This part of the parenting process, while rewarding, means that every moment of the day is jam-packed.
Whether you are caring for a newborn, infant, child, or teenager, a mother’s job is never finished. This often means that in between trips to daycare, after-school ballet, or soccer practice, you never have enough time to eat healthy options.
While all parents want to set a great example for their kids, sometimes it can be all too easy to grab that takeout menu or reach into the cupboard for a packet of biscuits. Rather than indulging in bad habits and feeling guilty, adopt some simple tips to make healthy eating easier.
The importance of eating healthy
Eating is viewed as a relatively rudimentary task. Open a packet of chips up. Peel a banana. Eat some yogurt out of the tub. While simple tasks, the things we eat can have both positive and negative impacts.
This is largely because food is fuel. The right food can provide enough fuel to help you tackle the day. The wrong fuel can leave you feeling sluggish and bloated. Providing your body with the right fuel is all about eating a balanced diet.
This of course means eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. It also means cutting yourself some slack and enjoying a chocolate bar or a biscuit with a cup of tea every now and again.
Another reason why eating healthy foods is so important? The vitamins and minerals fresh foods can provide. Foods like mushrooms, eggs, and fish are high in Vitamin D. This vitamin is essential when it comes to building bone strength and boosting the immune system.
5 steps to implement for healthier eating
After a long day chasing after kids, often the last thing moms want to do is pull ingredients out of the fridge and start cooking dinner. While this urge for convenience is completely understandable, fast foods can negatively impact health and cause bad habits to develop.
Luckily, there are five steps that busy moms and parents alike can implement to ensure healthy eating. No matter if their kids are toddlers, school age, or attending higher education facilities
1. Cook what the family likes
One of the main obstacles to healthy eating is the fact that kids may turn their nose up to certain vegetables, proteins or fruits. If one child protests, it can start off a chorus amongst all offspring.
A way to negate this is to sit down with the family and talk through likes and dislikes. By knowing what foods each member of your family will and won’t eat, you have a clear picture of what you can cook.
2. Meal plan
From there, incorporate these likes into a meal plan. A meal plan has two benefits. Firstly, you can detail what you are going to be eating throughout the week. This means that your family will always know what you’re going to cook and can’t voice last-minute objections.
Secondly, having a meal plan in place makes the grocery run much more efficient and effective. With a meal plan in hand, you know exactly what groceries you need and when during the course of the week you’re going to need them.
3. Prep fruits and veggies
Once the food for the next few days, or even the week, has been acquired, you can prep fruits and vegetables. While this might sound too good to be true, soaking fruits and vegetables in a solution of warm water with baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar works wonders.
Once placed in airtight containers, these fruits or vegetables can be used as the foundation for meals. They can also be pulled out in case one of the kids becomes ravenous. When you see your kids snacking on something healthy, it will encourage you to partake as well.
4. Pre-prepare healthy snacks
Healthy snacks can take the form of containers of fruits, veggies dipped in hummus, nuts or even a boiled egg. However, preparing these snacks can often be time-consuming. Rather than waiting for an egg to boil, you instead may decide to open a packet of chips.
By pre-preparing snacks for the week, you always have healthy alternatives to choose from. While the preparation process might take up a few hours on a Sunday afternoon, it undoubtedly saves you time and calories during the course of the week.
5. Cook extra
When there is no food in the house, it can be easy to start dialing the number of the nearest takeaway pizza place. However, when there is extra food prepared, you can save the empty calories. It really is as simple as cooking an extra portion one night during the week and freezing it until needed.
Eating healthy as a mom
Moms are known to sacrifice for their kids. However, one sacrifice that moms do not have to make is eating healthy and clean. Not only will this sacrifice impact your overall health, it will also teach your kids bad habits.
Yet, sticking to a healthy eating plan can be hard. Rather than going it alone, make the whole family eat healthily. This way, you can easily prep the meals and snacks for the week. Ensuring that the whole family has the food their bodies need to thrive.
