Family Nutrition

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, the food choices we make for our families aren't just about meals; they're the foundation for a healthy and happy life.

Read on as we explore how to create meals that go beyond filling stomachs. From understanding the basics of crafting nutritious, well-balanced meals to discovering exciting recipes that get the kids excited to join in, we'll uncover some practical tips to upgrade your family's approach to food.

EAT THE RAINBOW

When we look at our plate, we should have more colorful veggies than anything else.

Here’s WHY:

🍴Increased fiber

🍴Anti-Inflammatory

🍴Reduces unhelpful gut bacteria

🍴Energy production

🍴Lowers cholesterol

🍴Promotes a healthy weight

Encouraging colorful meals for variety in nutrients can be a great way to help growing children meet their nutrient intake needs, we well as adults to be energized to do all of the things!

Each color provides different vitamins and antioxidants

Try to make half your plate non-starchy veggies and 1/4 starchy carbs or fruit, this is a starting point to help incorporate more color to your plate!

🌟 BUT, be sure to increase your vegetable intake slowly to allow your stomach to get used to the increase in fiber to help avoid GI discomfort

Include various methods such as raw fruits and vegetables, baking, broiling, roasting, and even steaming.

🫐Invite the kids to “hunt” for different colors at the grocery store or farmers market.

🍅Make it fun by let's them decide a color for the day like: “Red Day,” or “Green Day" to be able to focus on those foods.

🍆Let kids pick a “rainbow color of the week.” This can also be a great opportunity to talk about having a variety of colors provides benefits such as Brain and healthy again, cardio health, immune health, reproductive health as well as digestive health.

Keep track of how well you are getting all the colors in, by creating a rainbow chart together to track how many colors you eat in a day.

🍉And finally share rainbow meals on a family photo board or journal.

HELP OUT IN THE KITCHEN: DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY

Parents are responsible for: what, when, and where kids eat

Kids are responsible for: if they're hungry to eat at meal or snack time and, if so, how much

Everyone has a role in helping out, whether it be little or big! In the case of preparation, feeding, and consuming there are multiple steps that ensue to the end result.

Let's think about what those roles entail, getting the ingredients out, prep in the kitchen, from washing produce, to chopping, using the stove and oven, to putting the meal together, serving plates, eating, to finally cleaning up the dishes, and the kitchen to allow for the next meal to have a fresh start.

What this does is increase confidence for your family and kids in the kitchen and around meal time by including them in age-appropriate tasks. This can also help with building skills and independence over time with out tasks, outings, and adventures.

Provide boundaries, empower your kids to help, teach them safety, what's acceptable and unacceptable in the kitchen, but not restricting their ability to experiment, ask questions, and learn about food and nutrition.

It is about setting clear expectations examples include, “We try one bite” “We don’t make separate meals” “We all sit together at the table during meals.” “We clean up our dishes when we're done.”

FAMILY DINNERS

Family dinners look like trying new foods, having different themed nights, and continuing to have fun at meal times! Truly creating these shared meals build connection, routine, and openness to new foods. Which provide so many benefits when we think about family nutrition such as :

🌟Better communication

🌟More adventurous eating

🌟Lower risk of picky eating and disordered habits

Did you know that it can take 10–15 exposures (or more) for a child to accept a new food? Did you know that kids are more likely to try foods they see parents, caregivers, or peers eating and enjoying? And finally, did you know that play-based exposure such as cooking together, food art, and sensory play boosts willingness to try new foods?

This is all EXTREMELY impactful for your families willingness to be more adventurous!

Theme Nights can be a hit - let each kid is able to pitch in their ideas and contribute! Here are some great ideas to get you thinking:

🍴Taco Tuesdays

🍴Stir-Fry Fridays

🍴“Try Something New” Night

🍴Picnic Dinner

🍴“Cook Like Grandma” Night

🍴Breakfast for Dinner

With most families rotating between 7-15 recipes it can be tough at times to be creative. This is okay, which means you still need to be aware of what those recipes look like for you and your family. You even need to be willing to add more into your tool belt. Look at the healthy steps nutrition website for recipes that are filled with yummy goodness and are kid approved!

Some of our client's favorite HSN recipes include:

💙Cheesy Beef and Broccoli Bake

💙Buffalo Chicken Casserole

💙Egg Roll in a Bowl

💙Meatloaf Muffins

💙Sloppy Joe's

And if you haven't lately, try to get a new recipe in your rotation! This will continue to build up your recipe choices, adding variety, color, and fun!

Need help family or your own nutrition - schedule a free discovery call TODAY!