Transitioning Your Family's Way of Eating

Let's say you've resolved that you and your family are going to eat better. You've decided that fresh, unprocessed foods will be the norm rather than the exception.
What's step 1? Many would suggest opening the pantry door and throwing all the junk away- I don't think that's such a great idea unless you are prepared for the battle of your life.

In many situations, the mother is the instigator of change. We have so much influence on what happens in our household, but never mistaken it for power. Power is for dictators. We want our families to see the new way of eating as a choice they are making with you.

My advice, especially with kids, is to slowly transition from Point A, to Point B, to Point C, and so on until you are where you wish to be. Children (and husbands) tend to revolt if they are suddenly pushed into something without input. I might have a slight tendency of pushing back if pushed too strongly as well. Ask anyone.

So if your current eating style is the Standard American Diet...Poptart and juice for breakfast, cold cut sandwich and Doritos for lunch, and a couple of frozen pizzas for dinner...please don't think your family is going to quietly accept asparagus and organic bacon as the new breakfast of champions.

Go ahead and finish the junk in your fridge and pantry. However, begin talking about nutrition and the value of food from nature. It may seem silly at first to talk about vitamins found in fruits and vegetables to a three year old as you shop or fix a snack, but it works. You are influencing them slowly. It builds a base for why a change is coming. Openly talk about the coming changes and show excitement. Get them prepared for a change.

The next time you go grocery shopping, decide what less healthy household items you are going to trade in for real food items. Just pick one or two. For example, if you normally buy fruit gummies for Junior, negotiate a trade with him. Tell him/her that you are no longer buying gummies to keep in the house but he/she can pick any fruit to replace it. Make it theirs. You are making a parent decision here, but allowing them to assist in the process. It alleviates some of the resistance.

Think about it. In two months, you could eradicate the majority of the processed food from your home. Slowly and steadily. But please don't mistakenly replace one piece of junk for an advertised "healthier" version. For example, regular soda for diet soda. That's just wheel spinning.

Perfection isn't your aim at this time. Well really it never is. Improvement and overall health value. Yes, I bought Luke Spaghetti O's per his request last week. Yesterday I warmed them up for his lunch. He was so excited! He ate about five bites. The end. I have to admit, I was pretty smug about it. I'm tweaking his taste buds and winning.

Best of luck in your transition. Key points to remember are casually educating your family as you go, slow but real changes, and commitment to the process. Your family deserves the best in life and health!