This is a post from Melissa Ringstaff of A Virtuous Woman
I’m on a mission to change how we eat.
I’ve been concerned with what my family eats for a lot of years now. Eating healthy {and then eating even healthier} is a process. Yes, you can decide to cut out entire food groups or processed foods all at once – I’ve done it. However, more than likely getting from Point A {where you are now} to Point B {where you want to be} will take time – especially if you’re new to eating healthy.
How to Transition to Eating Healthy
So how do you transition to a healthier diet if you’re used to eating not so healthy? I’m so glad you asked!
- Realize there is a learning curve. You will need to find new recipes and test them out. This takes time. That’s okay! Any time you are learning something new, there will be time involved. But it is time well spent. And before you know it, you’ll have a good repertoire of healthy recipes your family loves that are easy to prepare.
- Get your family on board. Make learning more about health fun! Always be learning something new. Read, read, read. Educate yourself. Share what you learn with your family. Ask for their ideas when planning your new healthier menu.
- Change your shopping habits. Read labels! These days my husband and I rarely move past the produce aisle. Aside from whole grains, beans, and sugar free juices, we don’t spend much time walking down the grocery aisles! It’s easier to cook healthy if you have no other choice when you open the cupboard.
- Get your kids involved. I know, sometimes having the little ones {or bigger ones} in the kitchen while you are trying to get a meal on the table adds more work and takes longer than if you just did everything yourself. But, when you let your kids have a hand in what they’re eating, they’ll be more inclined to try new foods.
- Shop together. Like I said before – when you allow your children to have a part in eating healthier, they’ll feel more inclined to try new foods. Make shopping for new foods an adventure. Get excited about food and your children will be excited, too.
- Explore the world through food. I love preparing ethnic dishes from around the world. My children are used to trying new foods because not a week goes by that we eat the same foods every day. I try new recipes several times a week.
- Talk about health and nutrition on a frequent basis. Share what you’re learning about health with your family. Talk about why it’s important to eat healthy. Talk about what foods that aren’t good for you do to your body. If you don’t know, learn! Talk about diseases and watch videos on healthy eating like Food, Inc. or Forks Over Knives.
- Praise your children for being willing to try new tastes. Let them know you’re proud of them. And let them see you love your veggies.
- Don’t allow picky eaters. Fruits and vegetables should not be an option. In my house, each of my children has one or two foods they don’t care for. When they were younger I required them to eat something over everything. As they’ve gotten older, I’ve respected their dislikes, but they still have to eat their veggies. If my children turned their nose up to several vegetables I wouldn’t allow them to skip out on everything. For one it’s coleslaw, another it’s raw tomatoes, and for another it’s olives. Aside from that, they have to eat a few bites of everything I serve.
- Know it takes 28 days to change your taste buds. It is possible! I became a vegetarian over 15 years ago and my three oldest children all stopped eating meat at the same time. Foods I used to love no longer have an appeal and I don’t crave foods I thought I could never give up. Not only that, but I learned to love foods that I previously did not enjoy.
Transitioning to a healthier diet takes time and patience. Just like with any value you work to instill in your children, the best way to teach them is by example. Eat healthy yourself and your family will be inspired. My children like spinach, beets, cabbage, and beans. In fact, they pretty much like most everything I feed them.
Expose your family to new tastes and a variety of foods from early on and they’ll be more likely to love healthy foods.
Nothing makes me happier than seeing my children inhale salad, consume beans, ask if they can snack on an apple or banana. People ask how I get them to eat like that and I tell them it’s what we buy at the store. my husband and I eat the same things too. If we keep the junk food outside the home we won’t be tempted to eat inside the home. Great post!
Brienne, I agree. It’s so much easier to eat healthy if we avoid bringing junk into the house! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing these ideas. We have been on a journey to get more and more processed foods out of our home. You are right it does take time and there’s a learning curve too. I have told my husband more than once when I have tried something new… please hang in here with me, I will figure out how to make biscuits from scratch… or whatever else I am trying for us. Recently I have found freezer meals have helped so much. They are mostly made from scratch and it saves me when I am tempted to just go buy dinner. All this is an investment towards better health for our families.
Melissa – love your name by the way 😉 – Freezer meals are such a great idea. Anytime you can make it easier to eat a healthy home cooked meal instead of grabbing take out is wonderful! Good for you!
These are great tips! I love the first – recognizing that there is a learning curve. Acheving a goal of “healthy eating” (whatever that means to you), can take time and that is okay! I feel like it is much like weight loss in that you are more apt to do it if you do so gradually and make it a lifestyle change. 🙂 Thanks for linking up to Motivation Monday!
Hi Lauryn, You’re right. Making gradual changes is easier and is more likely to “stick.” Glad you enjoyed the article. Thanks for visiting!
Good tips. It can be so tough to transition from old ways of eating. I had to eliminate wheat and refined sugar from my diet, and fortunately my husband and toddler have been enthusiastic to try my many experiments in the kitchen (although they’re honest about the failures 😉 )
Betsy, I love it when my family has a sense of adventure in the kitchen! Makes cooking and trying new recipes {and ways of eating} so much easier!
I have also been trying to change the way my family eats. Not browsing through all the junk food aisles is key for me. That rule about shopping the outside of the aisles is pretty true. That is where most of the healthier food is. My MAJOR problem isn’t really what we eat at home it’s my terrible eating out addiction!
Sarah, my suggestion would be to think about all the money you could save by not eating out and then maybe reward yourself with something you’ve been really wanting at the end of the month with some of that saved money! Or, get familiar with the healthier options at your favorite restaurants so you can make wise choices when you do eat out. Good luck!
I find that doing research has been huge for me, the more I read about healthy eating the the pitfalls of eating the way most people it but more interested I am to eat healthy. Also, reading cookbooks has become one of my favorite things.
Chantel, I’m with you. The more I find out about what’s in our food and the perils of eating the standard American diet… the more I continue to move toward healthier eating. Education is key!
Loved these tips – great place to start, particularly when you have a few mouths to feed, many of whom need convincing to join in with the change! Since my first came along 8 months ago we’ve been changing things in our home, hoping to set the best example possible and make healthy eating just a way of life for our son from the get go.
I’d love you to check out my own post on healthy alternatives for every day staple foods! http://www.theblossomingbump.com/?p=265
Thank you for sharing these awesome ideas – have a wonderful day!
Carly @ http://www.theblossomingbump.com
Thanks for sharing, Carly! You are smart to start early… it’ll save you a world of hurt later. 😉
Very well written and I agree with all of them.
Thank you, Neelu!
Melissa…I so loved your tips and many we have done in our own home with success. I made our change several years ago and am so glad I did. Our kids were young enough to adapt and now appreciate most everything they eat. They even try new foods on their own on occasion. I am also a label reader which I think is important when making the switch to healthier eating. Thank you for sharing your tips at Monday’s Musings. (BTW…I have enjoyed your site, a Virtuous Woman, for several years now and am glad you still write.)
Thank you, Naomi. What a great compliment!
Reading labels is such a smart way to stay on top of what you’re feeding your family. It’s better to be educated about it and walk along blindly.
The Bible talks about the blind leading the blind… If we keep a blind eye toward the truth about unhealthy foods, we are essentially blindly leading our children down the same path!
These tips are great! I definitely agree that getting your family on board is key!
Thanks, Tshanina!
This is an inspiring post. I am trying to eat healthier again. It is a process that takes time. I appreciate the grace you allow.
Judith, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. We all need grace! 🙂