Good food for your brood
Having a healthy family is all about the food you eat. Although a long list of commitments can make putting a nutritious meal on the table every day a challenge, there are plenty of benefits to putting more effort into meals. Making time to cook your own food means you are more likely to eat less salt, fat and preservatives, and it’s easier on your wallet too. Here are our tips for giving your family menu a healthy makeover.
Is your storecupboard working for you? It’s all too easy to resort to a takeaway when you’re missing a vital ingredient for a meal. Make sure you’re stocked up on healthy foods to eat including wholegrain pasta, rice, quinoa, couscous, tinned pulses and beans, tinned fish, oats, seeds and nuts. Also stock up on dried fruits, crispbreads or oatcakes for snacking on, dried herbs for flavouring meals, passata (sieved tomato) for instant tomato sauces, and stock cubes. Make sure you have a supply of healthy oils such as olive oil for dressings and always have some eggs to hand as they are great for whipping up a quick, healthy meal. Keep some wholegrain bread in the freezer so you don’t run out – freezing is also a good solution if you often find your bread goes stale because your family don’t get through a loaf very quickly.
Plan ahead. Work out a healthy family weekly menu of meals in advance, then use this to make a shopping list so that you have all the ingredients. A meal planner will also save on food waste, which is bad for your pocket and the environment.
Shop smart. Buy pre-cut or frozen vegetables and pre-cut fish or meats to save time, and don’t forget to look out for bargains, such as 3-for-2 offers or end-of-the-day reductions on bread or perishable foods that need to be eaten quickly.
If you want to cut down on unhealthy snacks, then be strong-willed and resist buying that bag of doughnuts or packet of biscuits – if they’re not in the house, no one can eat them! Healthy foods to eat include cubes of cheese, grapes or sliced fruit, cherry tomatoes, carrot and pepper sticks. Raw vegetables are more likely to be eaten when kids can dunk them into a tasty dip such as houmous, cheese and herb dips or pâtés.
Cook smart. If you are cooking a favourite meal make extra quantities that can be frozen for another day.
Make supper time a family affair where you all sit down and enjoy your meal. Switch off the TV so the younger ones concentrate on finishing their meal rather than scooting off to watch TV.
Drinking water is good for you and it’s free. Put a jug of tap water on the table and top off glasses with wedges of lemon, lime, or oranges for flavour. Avoid sugary drinks especially for children. Fresh fruit juice is good, but it shouldn’t be served at every meal, as is milk.