We all know that eating healthy is important for our overall health. It is well-known that eating healthy foods like whole grains, nuts, lean meats, seeds, fresh produce, and low-fat dairy products is the best way to have a healthy body. However, if your kitchen contains nothing but foods high in sugar and fat, then healthy eating is not easy! The easiest way to be healthy is to create a naturally stocked kitchen so there are lots of delicious and healthy options for your family when they want a snack or when you are cooking a meal.
Your kids won’t eat healthy foods if they don’t taste and look good. You can make a snack that tastes and looks good by mixing nuts, dried fruit including raisins or currants, and seeds in a bowl and leaving them out for your kids to eat. They can eat a little bit at a time throughout the day. You need to have ingredients that are salty and that are sweet in this snack. It is important for children to eat up to 5 or 6 times every day because their bodies are growing, they have small stomachs, and they are very active.
Other options for a healthy snack include fresh fruit, fresh veggies, and items containing dairy or protein. You can serve things like delicious whole wheat tortillas with beans and low fat cheese in them. You could also offer your children a glass of low-fat milk and some raisins and granola. Another option is an apple, a yogurt, and some water. You can choose from a variety of healthy snack options that your children will be love and that they can eat throughout the day.
Kids will love the healthy food options you have if you make them into fun shapes or change their color so they are more appealing. It is a good idea to include your child in the shopping and preparing of snacks. You need to be a good role model for healthy eating, which means you need to choose healthy foods as well.
Instead of the many unhealthy condiments with artificial ingredients and lots of sodium, try making your own with fresh tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. These will taste great! Instead of the normal oils you use to cook and bake, choose a healthier version. You should look for “monounsaturated” and “polyunsaturated” oils instead of “saturated” or “trans-fats” oils.
Oils to stay away from include palm oil, shortening and palm kernel oil. Your naturally stocked kitchen should contain sesame, olive, walnut, and flaxseed oils, which will improve the health of your entire family. When you are going to be using high temperatures to cook foods, you want to use canola oil. Coconut oil is great if you are trying to speed up your metabolism so you can lose weight. You can use sesame oil or flaxseed oil on your salads instead of dressings. These contain beta-carotene and omega-3 essential fatty acids. Remember, flaxseed oil has to be refrigerated.
