Most of us are creatures of habit. We buy the same foods each week from the same supermarket and prepare the same recipes over and over, because it’s all that we know, and let’s face it, it takes less effort. If you have made the decision to start a healthier lifestyle, then you will need to change of your bad habits, and start thinking differently about what you buy and what you cook. 
The problem is that we get so comfortable in our ways that it’s hard to give up those old habits. Having a system in place, such as a weekly meal planner can be a good way to get organised and teach you which types of foods are healthiest to buy.
In order to help your family eat healthier, you can start with these 3 steps
- Identify the bad habits you want to fix
- Figure out why these habits exist
- Slowly adjust your bad eating and exercise habits into healthier new ones
Wouldn’t it be great if the whole family could change their bad habits all at once?
Just because you have decided to make a change and start eating healthier, doesn’t automatically mean the rest of the family will be on board. Although the August 28 day weight loss challenge is very family friendly, and could be a very good place to start, there may be a couple of recipes that still need to be amended to suit everyone.
For example, if we have a recipe containing salmon and non-starchy vegetables, then you can maybe toss a garlic bread under the grill for the other family members that need or would like to eat more calories. Or, for the Asian-style recipes, you can make up some quick rice or soba noodles and serve them on the side. If your partner wants to eat a huge steak with mash and pasta, you can also have steak but a smaller portion. And maybe serve yours with a salad or steamed veggies rather than loads of starchy carbs. 
Use this change as an opportunity to the get the rest of the family eating healthier. If you would like your children or husband to start eating healthier, you all need to be doing it together. The goal is to eventually be eating the same meals.
In order to achieve this, make sure the family is eating enough protein and good fats during the day, such as eggs, lean meats, avocado, healthy oils, tuna, nuts and seeds. Carbohydrates should be wholegrain and unprocessed. All our Healthy Mummy recipes follow these good nutritional habits.
Once you start eating healthier during the day, you will find yourself and your family are less hungry at night and likely to eat the same meal without you always having to prepare side dishes.
Written by Elisha Danine – Nutritionist (BHSc Compl Med)
