I admit, with two little kids at home, work and normal day-to-day household responsibilities, making three healthy meals a day for my family becomes one of my biggest chores. Often choosing what is for dinner and having all of us agree, is sometimes our household’s biggest argument.
According to a recent study, 45% of millennials’ food budget is spent on eating out. Every year these statistics grow and I can totally see how. With life becoming much busier, both spouses having to work, and fast food is so readily available, spending the extra 2$ a day on a coffee sounds much easier than waking up early to make your own.
After taking the time to do my research and educate myself on the impacts of food and our bodies it’s become clear that I can easily make little changes to better my kid’s life along with my own.
Local fresh veggies – available in store
Wildly delicious Newfoundland screen rum BBQ sauce 10.00 | Garlic box chili lime chicken splash 8.00
Make the kitchen your happy place. Leave yourself with a clean sink at night so each morning you wake up, you are inspired by your clean kitchen. Adding fresh herbs, flowers or bowls of fresh fruit to our decor can make all the difference in how your kitchen workspace makes you feel.
Butterhead Lettuce – available in store 3.00
Sourcing local fresh ingredients is a great first step to eating healthy. Not only are you supporting a small local farmer, but you are also ensuring that what you are putting in your body is cared for and as fresh as can possibly be.
Not only does eating nutrient-rich food help maintain your body’s overall health, but it also plays a large role in how we feel, our mental health, and lessens the chances of infections and other illnesses.
Make eating healthy fun. Often the kids will say or do something that reminds me right away of everything they’re learning from me. Not only do I have to watch what I say, but I also have to watch what I choose to eat.
Something fun the kids and I like to do is picnics. We pack a variety of snacks and drinks and head off to our local pond or park to chat and play. Choosing healthy snacks like cucumber and red peppers is a great way to keep cool and boost their energy to keep playing throughout the day.
Wild coast fruit co. dried cranberries 3.99
One thing I’m horrible about is reminding myself I need to drink water. Finally, I just purchased myself a large drinking container that has times of the day to help keep me accountable for how much I’m drinking. I’m a sucker for sweet drinks like iced cappuccinos and juice. But after reading the sugar intake, I quickly started trying to drink more water. Sometimes water doesn’t cut it though, so mixing it with some of our fruit juices and adding fresh lemon or herbs is just the flavour I need to fulfill that craving.
Black river lemonade 7.00 | Black river grapefruit juice 9.00
Once you find a healthy balance and learned to meal prep or cut back on some of your usual but unhealthy choices, then there’s nothing wrong with a treat from time to time.
Roothams red pepper jelly 8.50
Moderation is key to everything. There’s always a chance of there being too much of a good thing. During this pregnancy, I have had daily cravings for ice cream. I constantly have to go over what I eat in the day to try and justify having a treat at night.
Choosing one day a week where you order out or go for ice cream is fine if the rest of the week you are conscious of what you’ve chosen to put into your body.
Healthy food equals a healthy mind. Choosing special occasions to indulge in sugary treats is a good way to moderate what your choosing to spoil your body with. Late-night, weekend bonfires with roasted marshmallows are fine and even more enjoyable when it is a treat and different from your norm.
Sun parlour honey with coco 6.50
