Finding joy in eating well together

Local mom Michele Hackett has transformed her diet and improved her health recently. As the primary cook in her family, she has helped her husband and daughters make better diet choices as well.

“I am putting those better choices in front of them,” Hackett says.

Although people typically focus on health and wellness at the beginning of the year, the thought of making dramatic changes to how our families eat can seem overwhelming. Yet, as in Hackett’s case, it often simply takes one family member to initiate changes for an entire family.

Take it one step at a time

Hackett says one key to her success, and that of her family, is not making huge changes all at once but focusing on one or two smaller changes at a time. To this end, one of the better choices she makes for her family includes using leaner meats, which involves choosing turkey and fish over beef.

She has also cut down on the consumption of sugar and carbonated drinks and works to drink a significant amount of water each day. Drinking plenty of water is something she is helping her daughter implement as well. Additionally, she eats smaller snacks between meals to keep her metabolism going. For healthier on-the-go options, she says she always has fruit, low-fat cheese sticks, nuts and yogurt on hand for her family.

When it comes to eating out, she recommends checking restaurant menus online before heading out and deciding in advance on a healthier option by reviewing the nutritional information restaurants provide.

“When you have that in your control, and you make that decision before you go, it’s easier,” Hackett says.

Tracey Shaffer, a local registered dietician and owner of KC Nutrition Coach, recommends starting to make changes one meal at a time. Find ways to improve just one meal of the day, and this could include adding more fruits and vegetables, decreasing unhealthy fats or including more protein. Once you have improved one meal, you can move on and work on the next meal.

Shaffer says to encourage kids to eat more fruits and vegetables. She recommends trying different preparation methods, including serving them raw, roasted, stir-fried or with cheese, offering them with dips or adding to other foods, such as eggs, sandwiches or pasta.

Bethany Frazier, a local registered dietician and owner of Kansas City Dietician, says she encourages families to begin their efforts to eat well by cooking at home and helping everyone in the family develop a healthy relationship with food. She encourages families to offer a wide variety of foods, and it is important for kids to have the exposure to different types of foods even if they do not eat all of them.

Frazier recommends making sure children have a “safe” option on their plate that they enjoy and pairing that with an option they might not enjoy as much, such as pairing chicken fingers with salad. She also recommends offering dips with vegetables to boost interest.

Frazier says some kids have sensitivity to textures and do not enjoy foods being mixed in a casserole, so you may find it helpful to offer the different foods separately.

“Keep the freezer stocked with frozen veggies,” says Abby Stanley, a dietician with Revive Nutrition Solutions. “Frozen veggies are healthy and can be prepared in just a few minutes. With a quick addition of some olive oil and seasonings, they can taste great, too. When you haven't been to the grocery store or just don't have time to cook, there is still a quick and easy way to get veggies on the plate for the whole family.”

Overall, Frazier recommends making sure you always offer good sources of protein, fat and fiber. She says protein is generally the most overwhelming to prepare, so having simple go-to protein sources are important.

Encourage a positive relationship with food

Both Frazier and Shaffer agree one pitfall families often fall into when it comes to diet can be making different meals for different family members. Shaffer says to avoid becoming a short-order cook by serving one meal and including a food your children enjoy so they have something to choose even if they do not like the rest of the meal.

Not planning can be another diet pitfall.

“It does not have to be full meal preparation, but having an idea of what the menu for dinner will be and having all the ingredients available will make mealtime go much more smoothly,” Shaffer says.

Another pitfall can be stressing over meals and putting pressure on yourself and your family.

“If you are serving a variety of foods from the food groups, they will get all they need even if they don’t always eat from all food groups all the time,” Shaffer says.

Frazier emphasizes the importance of demonstrating a good relationship with food and not forcing the kids to eat. She suggests making mealtime fun by turning on music during dinner or even having a picnic on the floor.

She also recommends letting kids explore different foods—even if they do not eat them. With older kids and teens, she says it is important to control messaging about food and keep it positive. Avoid saying negative things about foods or even your own body—this is vital.

Shaffer says even if you do not like a specific food, do not keep your kids from trying it. Do avoid telling your kids you do not think they will enjoy that food. After all, the kids might surprise you.

Overall, let kids see the value in food and, as a family, enjoy having mealtime together occasionally as you seek to make positive diet choices. You will likely make memories and develop a closer relationship as a family as you spend time eating and exploring food together.

Nutrition fun facts

Did you know?

• Broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange.  
• Protein not only helps build muscles, but it also keeps you full longer than carbohydrates.
• Cholesterol is only present in animal foods; it is not found in plant foods.
• Even though they are natural, fruit juices can have as much sugar as soda.
• Kids should aim for having three servings of calcium-rich foods each day to support bone growth.

Source: Tracey Shaffer, a local registered dietician and owner of KC Nutrition Coach.

Allison Gibeson is a local writer and mom who is working to drink more water each day.

As always, please consult your health care provider with any question or concerns.