Parenting

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Building Healthier Family Meals

By Andrea Ferguson

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to prepare a simple, healthy meal and have all members of the family come willingly to the table, sit still, eat, enjoy the meal and then appreciate your effort? This reality can come more easily than you think! Many parents give children the wrong kind of decision making power around food and eating which leads to mealtime battles, a small list of “acceptable” foods and ultimately a disdain for cooking and feeding. If you want to put together healthy meals that all members of the family will eat, here are four steps to help you get organized and possibly adjust your way of thinking.

1. Put together a weekly healthy meal plan or at least a week’s worth of the meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) you find most challenging to prepare.

•  Write down each day of the week

•  Delegate who is responsible for cooking each day.

•  Note the days that are time sensitive. On these days, plan to have either leftovers from another meal, an extra quick meal, or a slow cooker meal.

•  For each day, decide on the meat or meat alternative that will form the base of the meal. Choose at least 3 or 4 different meats/meat alternatives in a given week. Good choices include poultry, fish, shellfish, lean beef, pork, beans, lentils, nuts, eggs and soy. Add a healthy (ideally whole grain) option.

•  Choose at least 3-4 different grains to serve throughout the week such as pasta, rice, quinoa, tortillas, roti, bulgur, couscous, bread items.

•  Add two or three dark coloured veggies and/or fruits to your meal. Experiment with different varieties and various ways of serving them: baked, broiled, steamed, grilled, sautéed, fresh, canned, frozen, with dip, with light sauces, etc.

•  To complete your meal, serve it with milk. Add a sprinkle of cheese or use yogurt in dips and sauces.

A weekly meal plan ensures that you will enjoy a variety of meals; that the preparations will suit your family, and that the stress of cooking will be minimized when you are busy. Find a healthy recipe book such as Simply Great Food by Dietitians of Canada that will offer a variety of delicious, family-friendly meals to get inspired.

2. Be considerate but don’t cater.

Do not short-order cook! Make one meal only. It’s next to impossible to please everyone all of the time, so don’t try. Instead, include at least one food that each person likes in a given meal. Mix and match from the food lists above to create a meal that will likely work for your family. If you only serve foods that you know your kids will eat, they will never learn to like anything new. Some days they will get their favourites and on others they may not. The sooner everyone can accept this, the sooner you will start enjoying meal times! As your kids see you enjoying a variety of foods they, too, will learn to like them in time.

3. Create an alliance with your partner.

•  Make the meal plan together or at least agree on the plan. Ensure that both you and your partner/spouse are following the responsibilities listed above so that expectations are clear. Avoid bribery or threats to get your kids to eat or try food.

•  Teach age appropriate table manners and appreciation by being good role models. This is the best thing you can do to help your children learn to enjoy meal time and what they are eating.

•  Help children get curious about food by talking about food in a positive way, providing opportunities for them to participate in food preparation and allowing them to “taste test” foods they are unsure about. If you are not forcing them to eat it, they may be more willing to try it.

4. Create an appropriate division of responsibility between parents and children.

Parents are responsible for deciding:

•  What food will be served - You decide what variety of foods will be offered.

•  When food will be served – Have regular and predictable meals and snacks. Don’t permit grazing as this can lead to battles over eating at meal time.

•  Where food will be served – The best place for meals is at the table without TV or other distractions.

Children are responsible for deciding:

•  How much they will eat – Some days kids will eat more than others; this is normal. Permit your children to eat until they are no longer hungry. Avoid forcing them to finish everything on their plate if they say they are full.

•  Whether they will eat – It’s normal for kids to eat more at one time of day and little or not at all at another. Offer high quality foods when they tend to eat more so you can relax if they opt out of eating at another time. Use a two week span to gauge your children’s eating habits rather than on a daily basis.

 

Families lead hectic schedules these days, often with members moving in all different directions throughout the day. Having at least one meal with everyone at the table allows you to come together as a family, reconnect and talk with one another in a relaxed, enjoyable setting. Planning for these meals will help to ensure they are healthy, interesting and stress-free. Bon appetit!

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Pull Quote:

 As your kids see you enjoying a variety of foods they, too, will learn to like them in time.

 

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