When you have a busy family, choosing things that are healthy for everyone can often be put on the backburner and replaced with things that are just convenient. But when this way of thinking spills over into the foods you eat, you can quickly develop a lot of problems, including issues with your weight, problems with your digestion, trouble sleeping, and much more. However, some parents feel like they simply don’t have time to make healthier choices.
If you find yourself thinking along these lines, here are three ways you can make eating healthier easier as a busy parent.
Purchase For Health As Well As Convenience
Just because a food is convenient doesn’t mean it can’t also be healthy. You just have to make sure that you’re finding the right convenience foods.
According to the staff of FamilyEducation.com, when you’re at the store stocking up your freezer or pantry with the convenience foods that you can just grab and go, make sure you’re choosing to purchase options that are healthier. If the healthier options are all you buy, it’s going to make eating unhealthy foods much more challenging. So on your next shopping trip, try getting things like hard boiled eggs, nuts, fruits, and even healthier frozen lunch or dinner meals that can all be very convenient to eat at a moment’s notice without filling you up with extra calories and bad fats.
Add In Extra Veggies
When you are able to be home to throw a meal together, it’s best to choose a meal that’s going to give your family a serving or two of vegetables.
And if you’re already going to be preparing some vegetables for your family to eat within the meal you’re making, Abby Langer, a contributor to Self.com, recommends that you throw some additional veggies in, too. Cutting up a few extra vegetables isn’t going to take you much more time than what you’re already spending to cook in the first place. So if your meal could stand to have some extra spinach, carrots, or cauliflower thrown in, it’s a good idea to do so.
Embrace Leftovers And Repurposed Meals
If you can’t get around to cooking a new meal each day for your family, FoodAndFun.org suggests that you rethink how you plan your meals for the coming days or weeks so that you can better embrace leftovers and repurposed meals.
For example, instead of making just one serving size of a healthier meal, make a double batch and put the leftovers in the fridge or freezer to eat on a busier day. Or, if you’re putting in the effort to make something like a chicken, find a way to repurpose any extra into another simple yet healthy meal for your family to save yourself some prep time.
If you’re struggling to feed yourself and your busy family healthy food, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find some solutions that you can try.