There are various benefits to following a healthier diet. Aside from improving your physical health, it can also help you to maximize your workout and care for your mental health and mind. Whatsmore, as a parent, it’s your responsibility to teach your children the importance of following a healthy diet so that they can carry these habits into adulthood.
However, sometimes life gets in the way of our best intentions. Between childcare, work and your personal life, it can sometimes be impossible to find the time to cook a healthy meal. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to follow a healthy diet, even when you’re swept off your feet.
1) Invest in a crock pot. Investing in a crock pot or slow cooker is a great way to ensure you have a hearty meal to come home to after a busy day at work. This is because you can do the basics of meal preparation earlier in the day before leaving it to cook slowly while you get through everything else you need to. Whatsmore, there are simply hundreds of recipes to try from. For example, you can even make a whole roast in the crock pot.
2) Remember that healthy food doesn’t always have to be complicated. Fast or ‘unhealthy’ food is often associated with speed and convenience (i.e. when cooking a pizza, you simply need to pop it in the oven with minimal prep). As a result, many people believe that they can’t cook healthy meals as they take too long or are too complicated – but this doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, the most straightforward recipes are often the healthiest. For example, you could prepare a delicious salad in less than ten minutes.
3) Buy healthy snacks. ¼ people snack on a daily basis, which means you aren’t alone if you find yourself feeling hungry between meals. However, snacking often leads to less than ideal dieting decisions, as we so often crave chocolate, candy and other sweet things as opposed to fruit and veg. You can easily combat this issue by ensuring that you keep healthy snacks in your cupboards.
4) Meal prep. Meal prepping is another great way to ensure you stick to your healthy diet during the week, as you don’t have to cook a fresh meal from scratch every night. This is also a great way to exercise portion control, as you can pay closer attention to how much you are cooking (and eating).
5) Make cooking a family affair. When parenting, it’s only natural that you will want to spend as much time with your children as possible, especially if you’ve been at work all day. However, you can combine your healthy diet with a little family bonding by making cooking a family affair. For example, you could cook dinner together each evening. This is also a great way to help your children develop responsible life skills, and who knows, you may even have a budding chef in the family!
