Getting everyone in the family to eat well should not require a chef or a magician. Different preferences, diets, ages and schedules seem to make this basic need a big challenge. Here are a few steps to get your whole family involved.
Step 1
Plan together.
Allowing family members to be involved in meal planning and preparation increases the odds that they will eat what is served. Planning the meal allows you to think about including foods from different food groups. Stock your kitchen and pantry with some healthy basics including whole grain cereals, crackers, rice and pasta; low sodium canned vegetables; canned fruits packed in water or light syrup; whole wheat flour; canned beans; nuts, seeds and oatmeal. Allow children to plan for their school day breakfast, lunch and snacks. Keep a shopping list posted so that anyone can add a suggestion. Everyone can look for recipes or pictures of foods they would like to try.
Step 2
Cook together.
There can never be too many cooks in a family. Cooking teaches basic science and math skills as well as allowing creativity, decision making, responsibility and pride for boys and girls. Batch cooking meals will save time later (for example, make 3 lasagnas and freeze 2). Sometimes, it's good to be a little sneaky--add fruits and vegetables to most anything. Chopped beets in meatloaf, spinach in pasta sauce, and sweet potato or pumpkin in chocolate cake will likely go unnoticed by many picky eaters. Applesauce can be substituted for oil in almost any baking recipe.
Step 3
Eat together.
Serve meals family style with a rule to try a bite of everything, encouraging variety. Allowing children to decide how much to eat encourages them to listen to their body, reducing overeating. The old saying, "Take what you want, eat what you take" is a good one to reduce waste. Package leftovers as whole meals for later use. Taking a little time to focus on what and how your family eats can help to create a healthy balance both physically and mentally.
Tips and Warnings
- Thinking through a meal in this order will insure a healthy balance: 1. Protein or meat; this defines the color and flavor of the meal. Bake, broil or grill to minimize fat. Serving should be the size of the palm of the hand. 2. Vegetable, at least 1 cup at both lunch and dinner, the deeper the color (green or orange), the better. 3. Fruit, total of 2 cups per day--whole foods (fresh, frozen, canned or dried) are better than juices. 4. Carbohydrate or starchy foods, 2 to 3 oz or 1 to 1-1/2 cups per meal--whole grains add fiber to keep you feeling full longer and regulate blood sugar. 5. Dairy, 1 cup per meal--1 percent fat or lower except for children under 5 who need whole milk. 6. Dessert--small amounts of sweet treats are part of a healthy balance. Enjoy baked goods, frozen yogurt, family recipes and other treats in moderation.
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