How to Encourage Healthier Eating Habits in Your Family

When you are looking to improve your eating habits and those of your family, it can be easy to make promises to yourself.  We do this all the time, only to find ourselves disappointed when we are unable to stick to our promises.  So, how do you create a resolution that will last through the long haul, without resorting to faddy diet books or booking an expensive nutritionist appointment?  What is the best way to really and permanently change your family’s eating habits?

The answer to this is actually very simple, and it starts with knowing why almost all resolutions fail.  We set ourselves up for failure when we give ourselves and our children eating habits that are simply unenjoyable.  Nobody is going to cut out carbs, sugar, dessert, or pizza forever, and if that is your primary goal then you are practically destined to fail. 

The best resolution involves both work and reward.  It involves setting a goal that you can meet without depriving yourself of everything you enjoy, then rewarding yourself when you meet that goal.

A great resolution for someone seeking better eating habits is to not to simply promise to eat healthier – that is too vague. Instead, try these tips:

* Make a pledge to only eat fast food once a week – and make it a big family occasion when you do. So if you love Mexican food, take the whole family and enjoy yourself every Sunday, as a reward for not eating there every other night during the week.

* Resolve to include fresh vegetables in at least one meal per day.

* Switch your white bread and pasta for brown or wholewheat. It doesn’t cost much extra, and you’ll enjoy great health benefits.

* Throw out your greasy old cookie jar and replace it with a fruit bowl. Keep it filled with fresh fruits your family will enjoy, like peaches, mangoes, bananas and plums.

* Clean out your fridge and toss out all those old fast food cartons and any junk food you find (don’t do this when the kids are watching!) Fill the space with bags of pre-prepared chopped fruit and veg that can be grabbed as an ‘on the go’ snack by your children.

* Buy unhealthy ‘favorite’ foods in single-portion sized servings. For instance, buy miniature tubs of ice-cream, not the nine-gallon megatub – so you won’t be tempted to pig out and eat the whole lot. Oh, and don’t be tempted to ‘stock up’ on these single-portion foods – you can (and will) eat three mini tubs of ice cream in a row if they are available. Buy just one per week, so when it’s gone, it’s really gone until next time you visit the store.

* Do not allow yourself to buy giant bags of chips. These ‘convenience’ bags contain a whole day’s worth of calories and several day’s worth of salt! If they are in your home, and open, you and your family will eat them. Instead, take your children to a whole foods store and give them some plastic bags, and tell them to buy a big bag each of their favorite nuts. Keep them in Tupperware containers in your snack cupboard. Nuts do contain fat, so they are filling in the same way chips are, but are also incredibly good for you and contain many vital nutrients and vitamins, not to mention packing a great dose of calcium and fiber.

When you want to change your family’s eating habits, start small, and work your way forward. You can’t change everything about the way you eat, but if you do so in a way that still allows you to enjoy your favorite foods, you will find that you are much better able to stick to your new resolution.