Everyone knows that adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet is a smart move when it comes to your health. However, this is often easier said than done. It can be difficult to break old habits, especially as we grow older.
Change can be difficult with children as well, as they tend to refuse vegetables altogether. This is something best addressed at home, at an early age. Read on to discover how.
Offer More Options
The best way to help your kids eat more vegetable is to give them more options. This means providing more variety in terms of individual meals, throughout the week and seasonally. Studies show that simply put, if kids have more to choose from, they will eat more vegetables.
This doesn’t have to mean wasting food. Variety can be created by providing more options and cutting down on portions, so you end up using a similar amount of produce. It may be more work, but it’s worth it to help you and your family eat healthier.
Local Farmers
It’s important to make sure your produce is grown in a way that is healthy both to you and the environment. You should strive to avoid overpaying for produce, and this is often what happens when you pay for the shipping and storing of produce over long distances. Establishing a relationship with local farmers allows you to buy fresh produce, cheaply and in bulk. This can be done at a farmers market or from farmers directly, depending on your area.
Meatless Monday
If you decide to dedicate one day of the week to a vegetarian diet, you’ll automatically increase your vegetable intake and find new ideas for cooking in the process. It doesn’t have to be on a Monday, but it does have a nice ring to it. It’s a decision you should make as a household, but it can be a fun way to bring more variety into your meals.
Make Snacks
Snacks are endlessly convenient: something to bridge the line between meals, or munch on while watching a movie or playing a game. Snacks can be the unhealthiest part of your diet or the healthiest, depending on your approach. Taking the time to make vegetables a part of your daily snacking will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.
Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and the one you have the least amount of time to prepare for. Planning ahead is essential, especially if you want to work more vegetables into your diet. Start by making sure your breakfast always contains at least one fresh vegetable. This may require preparation the night before, to ensure you have all you need in the morning.
A Family Matter
How you eat should be decided on as a family–this is true even if you want to set dietary guidelines for your kids. Guidelines are designed by parents, but kids should be consulted during the process. It helps if the family as a whole is engaged in cooking, as well, when safe to do so. Cooking together is a valuable bonding experience, and allows kids to become more invested in the food they consume.
Conclusion
Science proves that more vegetables in your diet will result in a healthier way of life. Change is difficult to make all at once, but there are simple steps you can take to add more vegetables to your own diet, as well as your children’s.