It was seven years ago when I made the decision that would forever change my family.  We needed to eat better.  We needed to start eating more REAL food.   I was on a mission to heal my husband and prevent the same thing from happening to my kids.   My husband had major health issues, I was  30 lbs overweight with high cholesterol and my kids were getting chubby. We all spent way too much time at the doctor’s office.   We were not on a good path.  You can read more about our story here.

As the primary shopper and cook in my home,  it was up to me.  I wasn’t quite sure where to start but I read everything I could get my hands on about eating healthier.  It boiled down to two major goals for me in the beginning:

1. Stop eating so much processed food

2. Start eating more fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds

Food would be our medicine.

  I took my first step toward better health and I have never regretted it.    The transition was not always easy for my family–they didn’t fully understand (or care) at first that there was something very wrong with the way we were eating but I can honestly say, we’ve come a long way.   It does this mama’s heart so much good now to see my kids choosing healthy food on their own and sharing with their friends what we’ve all learned over these past seven years. They get it now.

So, without further adieu, let’s get into the 5 tips that will help you transition your own family into eating healthier.

Tip #1     Make the transition gradually.

If you are at all concerned that your family might hate you for life, I would not suggest doing a complete overhaul of your refrigerator and pantry on Day 1.   Your family needs time to adjust.  There are big changes coming their way and the slow and steady approach will work best in most cases.

Tip #2    Decide on one positive change you will make today for the health of your family.

In the early days.  My youngest daughter, Katelyn, enjoying her green smoothie.

Start with ONE change.  Embrace it.  Be diligent in making it stick.  Once it becomes natural, choose another positive change and so forth.

The very first change I made was to start incorporating green smoothies into our diet.   I didn’t remove anything from our diet at first, I just added something delicious and healthy that was chock full of vitamins and minerals.

I’m going to assume that most of you are familiar with the green smoothie but just in case you haven’t been formally introduced, here’s one of our favorite green smoothie recipes.  My kids also love this Chocolate Superfood Smoothie.  

A word of caution:   When first introducing green smoothies, go light on the dark leafy greens.  A handful of greens is plenty to start.  You can gradually start increasing the amount of greens as your family gets used to drinking green smoothies.

Tip #3  For each unhealthy food you remove, offer a good and healthy alternative.

Early on, my kids were addicted to breakfast cereals–Cherrios, Kix, the occasional Lucky Charms and if my hubby went shopping, Cocoa Puffs (gasp!)   They typically ate either cereal or toast for breakfast on school days.   That was one thing I wanted to change.  I wanted them to start their day with something less processed and without sugar.   They were already starting their day with a small green smoothie but they still wanted “breakfast.”    So we said goodbye to the supermarket cereal and I purchased my first bag of healthy cereal from the health food store.   Puffed Rice Cereal.   Nothing but whole grain brown rice goodness. No sugar, no salt.   Yum, right?  My kids were less than impressed.  Where were the colorful marshmallows?  Why was it so bland?  Where was the sugar?   Even I didn’t find it appealing.    The cereal sat in the cupboard for a few months before my kids even attempted to try it again–and this time, we added pure maple syrup to sweeten it just a tad.  Not too shabby.    They ate it!

Today, my kids love puffed rice cereal (but only with pure maple syrup!)   They’ll eat it as a snack after school instead of for breakfast.  They’ve found they no longer want or need cereal for breakfast–there are much better, healthier options these days.

My attempt at offering a delicious alternative to their usual breakfast cereal wasn’t exactly an early success.  You’ll probably run into the same thing at some point.  Keep trying.   While it may not always be feasible to offer something as equally appealing or delicious, do the best you can.   If you keep at it, you’ll find your families’ tastebuds will start to change.

Tip #4   Offer fresh, whole foods before any other food.

Fill their tummies with wholesome goodness before they can reach for the less healthier foods.   Maybe start your evening meal with a salad.   Leave a plate of crudites on the counter after school or as you prepare dinner.  Leave out fresh washed fruits for them to snack on when they get hungry.  Make it available to them and make it easy.   Good before bad –it’s that simple.

Tip #5   Variety.  Variety. Variety.

If you are going to sell your family on a new way of eating, you need to show them what’s possible.  Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring.   Before we made the transition ourselves, a friend was telling me about serving her family a fresh, raw dinner one night.  I remember picturing them sitting around the dinner table nibbling on carrot sticks and celery!  lol   I laugh about that now!   There is a whole world out there of healthy food.  It’s not all carrot sticks and celery!

So try new foods.  Experiment with new recipes.   Find what your family loves and put it in your monthly meal rotation but don’t be afraid to try some news things.  Think outside the box.   Maybe check out some raw food cookbooks for recipes and ideas.   Visit a farmer’s market in your area.  See what’s possible.

Here are some of my family’s favorite recipes to get you started:

Almond Joy Snack Bites 

Fire Roasted Red Beans and Rice

Garden Minestrone Soup

Mexican Soup 

Healthy Macaroni & Cheese

Cornbread Lentil Casserole

Plus, my Pinterest boards are LOADED with healthy recipes.  I refer to them often when planning and preparing my family’s meals.

You might also enjoy taking the 7 Days to Better Health Challenge to get you started.  It’s free and it’s super-motivating!

As you embark on this journey, there will be some struggles; it won’t always be easy but I promise you, every minute you invest in your families’ health is 100% worth your effort!    I hope you’ll join me, week by week, as I continue my journey to improve the health of my family.    I hope it inspires you on your own journey.

–Jen

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