It’s difficult for one person to eat healthy, but if you’re responsible for ensuring the entire family eats well, it’s quite a challenge. Moms and dads want to stay in shape and they wish the same for their children. Since children view moms and dads as role models, it’s important to establish good habits at the table. Here are fast and easy ways to feed your family clean foods all week long.

Limit the Number of Times You Eat Out

We all know it costs money to eat out. Moreover, it’s difficult to control portions and ingredients when you’re eating food prepared by an outside source. Therefore, limit the number of times you eat out and get food delivered. It’s easy to ‘cheat’ and ditch plans to prepare a meal as you grab for a takeout menu. But a lot of takeout food is unhealthy. It takes effort to eat clean. Therefore, plan on eating at home most nights and reserve a select few for going out or ordering in.

Make Healthier Choices

Some selections can be confusing regarding whether they are healthy and clean. For example, chicken is a healthy choice but grilled chicken is a much healthier choice than fried chicken. Moreover, a home-baked pizza with small amounts of cheese and a lot of vegetables is different from baking a pie filled with extra cheese and sauce. Don’t only consider the foods you’re eating. To eat clean, you have to think about how meals are prepared too.

Choose Fresh and Organic

How food is prepared is very important and so is where the ingredients come from and how they were delivered to the food store. It’s much cleaner and healthier to opt for fresh, organic foods. For example, buy fruit and vegetables from farmer’s markets whenever possible. Rather than frozen or canned foods, buy foods that are fresh and prepared or delivered the same day. Moreover, read labels and tags of items. Products that are labeled as organic contain no pesticides or harmful steroids. Get in the habit of finding and using clean eating recipes.

Plan a Menu Once a Week and Shop Once a Day

Many people are in the habit of going to the grocery store once a week. The routine usually involves a huge bill and a lot of leftover food and unhealthy buys. Plan a menu on Sundays for the entire week. Focus on meals that are healthy and call for clean ingredients. Rather than shop once per week, get in the habit of going to the store each day. It requires extra time and effort, but it will help you make better decisions and save money on wasted food. If it’s inconvenient for one person, take turns having family members get items on particular days. Also, a number of grocery stores will deliver items to your home these days.

Increase Liquids

Many people don’t drink enough water throughout the day. Or, if they do decide on a beverage, it contains high amounts of sugar. Stay away from sodas and juices with added sugar. Buy more water and encourage family members to drink water throughout the day and during meals. Also, drinking tea is a great way to curb nighttime snacking while getting antioxidants and vitamins into your system. Break unhealthy habits while forming cleaner ones. Take the soda out of the fridge and fill it with bottled water or a family-sized water filter.

Increase the Number of Meals and Make Portions Smaller

Modern families are conditioned to eat large meals, which could train the body to overeat. It can also result in a lot of wasted food left on plates. Plan on eating five meals per day versus three while making the size of portions smaller. This will ensure your family members get plenty of variety in their diet and it will help train their metabolisms to work harder. Eating two more meals per day may seem like added work and preparation but it’s well worth increased health and happiness.

Eat the Right Kind of Carbs

Some people think that carbs are bad but that’s not the entire story. There are good and bad carbs. Unhealthy carbs include white flour, refined sugar, and white rice. Such foods quickly move through the body and offer very little health benefits. However, healthy carbs, like whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables, help the body feel full and provide needed nutrients and vitamins. Don’t be misled by counting calories or eating less. It makes much more sense and is much healthier to pay attention to the kinds of foods you’re eating.

 

About Rebecca:

My husband, four children and I have been eating clean for many years. We’re not perfect at it, but we feel better when we eat healthier and our children definitely act better. I’ve developed many recipes that our family loves and my blog has lots of Clean Eating recipes on it so you too can feel healthier and enjoy easy, delicious food.