The great majority of us have the best of intentions. We’d all like to be a little bit healthier, but it can be difficult in today’s world. It seems like almost daily everything becomes a little more complicated and expensive.
Making changes, big or small, to your family meals can positively impact the health of you and your family. Here are seven ideas to whip your family dinners into shape!
1 – Lighten Things Up
Many ingredients and condiments, like mayo and ketchup, have “light” versions containing fewer grams of fats or added sugars. Using these lighter variations makes your dinners much healthier without making sacrifices on flavor.
2 – Have a Meatless Meal
This doesn’t have to be as drastic as cutting out meat entirely. Even just replacing one or two meat dishes a week with a plant-based substitute can yield benefits. According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, people consuming a plant-based diet consume significantly fewer grams of saturated fats than meat eaters. They also tend to have lower BMI, cholesterol and blood pressure.
3 – Choose Leaner Meats
And when you do eat meat, there is still room for positive choices. Chicken and turkey are great options, both high in protein and low in fat, especially relative to alternatives like pork and beef. And even with beef, there are usually lower-fat cuts or blends to make your dinners that much healthier.
4 – Make the Right Oil Choice
When preparing a healthy family dinner, every ingredient matters. This includes the cooking oils you might use for frying or sautéing. Olive oil, especially extra virgin, and avocado oil are both stable with medium to high smoke points and contain a wide range of healthy fats and beneficial vitamins.
Oils with a lower smoke point, like nuts and flax, should mostly be kept away from heat and served cold. Palm oil should be avoided not only due to its low health value but also because of the many ethical controversies surrounding its production.
5 – Practice Portion Control
It’s true that we eat with our eyes as well as our mouths. How you present a meal can be just as important as how it’s prepared. Controlling portion size is a good way to make family dinners healthier, but if a reasonable portion is placed on a too-large plate or bowl, it’s easy for someone to feel like they haven’t eaten enough.
6 – Incorporate Fresh, Flavorful Nature Jim’s Sprouts
What if you could seriously up the nutritional value of every meal—without sacrificing flavor or giving up the meals you love? Good news: you can do exactly that just by adding Nature Jim’s sprouts.
The great thing about sprouts is that they’re packed with even more vitamins and minerals than their full-grown counterparts. Imagine your kids getting all the benefits of broccoli without the argument over “yucky green vegetables.”
Just blend our sprouts into soups and sauces, or sprinkle them into salads your kiddos already enjoy. And for older kids, consider growing sprouts together at home—little ones are often more willing to eat when they’re involved in preparing the ingredients!
7 – Stop Using Cell Phones at the Table
The modern world is full of distractions. With so much vying for a person’s attention, it can be easy to mindlessly eat while you’re focused on something else. This can easily lead to overeating. Have your family put down their cell phones, tablets and other devices and instead focus on relationships with one another.
Technology is an important aspect of our lives, and convenient ways to keep your service up-to-date have our days running smoothly. Having family dinner be a phone-free zone encourages everyone to have their minds on what they’re eating and gives them a better idea of when they’re actually full.
About the Author
George Reynolds
Nature Jim's Sprouts Owner and CEO
Since 1996, George has been working hands on with all thing’s spouts, sprouting and sprouting seeds. He is also a natural health and well-being enthusiast who believes in the power of good health habits. George’s focus on healthy food, nutrition and exercise aligns perfectly with his many years of professional experience as the President of Nature Jim’s Sprouts and Reynolds Industries.
George firmly believes in the health benefits of sprouts and makes them a part of his daily diet. His favorite way to eat sprouts is raw and on sandwiches and salads.
Learn More
