I took my kids in for physicals a few days before Thanksgiving (they were not happy with me at all ) and the pediatrician had some rather harsh but sound advice for me. He said, "You've got to get rid of the junk, especially sugar!" I have 2 kids that have very fast metabolisms and 1 that does not, mine is sort of in the middle and works when it feels like it. Needless to say, meal planning to meet all of our needs is not easy! We decided as a family that we'd enjoy the rest of 2013 eating however we desired but that we were all in on making positive changes once January hit.
Step 1- Over the next 18 days, I will slowly replace common staples we eat that are chock-full of preservatives and artificial flavors, coloring and sweetener with natural, fresh, sometimes organic ingredients.
I stopped buying soda a few weeks ago and I for one am having a bit of a hard time. I only drank a few Dr. Peppers per week but I miss them! I bought my kids their own insulated cups for Christmas and lots of ice water is being consumed already, if they can do it I can too! I'm not a big fan of water so adding bubbles and a slice of fruit has been very necessary
This week, I've planned 5 meals, all homemade- no boxed mixes, sauces or pre-made ingredients. Making everything from scratch takes much more time and some recipes take personal tweaking but I know exactly what we're eating. These meals are not the healthiest on the planet but they are well balanced and to me it's a great first step. I know from past experience that taking away all things delicious and thinking my family will embrace meals full of veggies will be a waste of time and money. My little one especially is a picky eater so I need to pay close attention that she's getting the calories she needs daily while we bump our way through these changes. Slow and steady wins the race!
Up next: I'm recruiting the kids and tackling healthy, yummy snacks. Homemade granola bars and fruit roll ups are first, then on to yogurt and homemade ice cream! The days of scarfing down a bowl of cereal after school are over, that's going to sting a bit for 2/3 of my kids but it has to be done!
We're spending more time outdoors as a family, walking, gardening, taking a walk on the beach when we visit family close by, roller skating etc. A body in motion, stays in motion!
No comments:
Post a Comment