Let’s face it. Eating well is not always the most fun option. However, it doesn’t have to be such a chore. There are some great ways you and the whole family can start eating well, and still enjoy your meals. With just a few changes and by involving your kids in the kitchen, you may be able to make the transition to a healthier lifestyle with ease.

Remake The Favorites

It’s no sin to enjoy pizza, or other junk foods. However, eating them habitually can be bad for our overall health. Instead, look at your favorites and try to make them better. If your little ones love premade meals including Lunchables, make homemade versions of them. Instead of using flour bases, try cauliflower pizza crusts as a healthy way to sneak more vegetables into a meal. Use wholesome substitutes for fattening dishes like mac and cheese or a bake instead of fry.

Sneak in some cut up vegetables or whole grains into burger patties to make even barbecue favorites healthier. If you introduce these foods in slowly, you may meet less resistance. Even better, you can swap unhealthy versions of favorites for healthy ones without little ones noticing.

Let Kids Choose

Your little ones may be more willing to eat their vegetables if they get to choose which they put on their plate. You can cook two, and let them pick which they want to eat. This doesn’t mean you should make separate meals for each child, or different dishes for adults and children. They can eat what you do, and see you model good behavior. However, having an option is a way to encourage thoughtful eating.

You might take them to the store and allow them to pick out an array of healthy fruit and vegetables. Get them excited about the colors and why having a colorful meal can be healthy. Even letting them help out in the kitchen can encourage them to eat more healthy foods. Pick some easy recipes such as fruit-rich frozen yogurt or even assembling a salad and let your child be in charge. A bit of pride in their food can go a long way to motivate them to eat well.

Plan Your Meals in Advance

It can seem tedious, but planning can actually make things much easier. By knowing what you’ll cook throughout the week, you may end up relying less on premade, or unhealthy alternatives. Whether you batch cook on the weekend, make a few basics and then modify them throughout the week, or make a new meal daily, it all adds up. By plotting out your time, and by ensuring you have the right ingredients, you and the kids will be less likely to grab junk for a meal. It takes work, yes, but it may be worth it in the end.

Have the Right Tools

Having the right gear in the kitchen can go a long way to eating more healthily. You can’t eat spiralized noodles without a spiralizer, after all. The best cookware sets can make cooking so much easier, so invest in things like the All-Clad 401488R Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Bonded Dishwasher Safe Cookware Set, 10-Piece, or the Bulbhead – Red Copper 10pc Ceramic Cookware Set, and Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Non-Stick Hard Anodized, 17 Piece Set. Stainless steel is classic and safer than aluminum. Copper bottom cookware holds heat well and cooks food evenly to avoid burning or undercooking food.

It just takes a bit of work and a few changes to our habits. Get the kids in the kitchen and more involved in what they eat. Have them help you plan and shop, so they can be excited about this new way of eating. Soon, you may see many positive changes in how everyone eats at home.

Image Courtesy of Pixabay.com