Hi everyone! I’m Jen from Taste Life, a blog about healthy eating, overcoming emotional eating, life coaching, exercise, and (way too often) my fur-children, Nola and Coconut. I met Lee through our blogs and it’s ridiculous how much stuff we have in common: artistic backgrounds, running, vegetarianism, and lots of other stuff that is completely slipping my mind at this moment!
Today I want to write about a subject that’s important to me: encouraging those around us to live a healthy lifestyle, specifically eating a healthy diet. Recently, my spousal equivalent (to whom I refer as “manfriend” on my blog) decided to make some healthy changes to his eating habits. I’m lucky that he decided to make these changes on his own, but even if your friends and family aren’t asking for a change, you can certainly lead them in the right direction. Or, if you don’t want to lead them in any direction, you can at least set an example by eating your fruits and veggies!
How To Encourage The People You Love To Eat Right
Trying to change the people you care for is a slippery slope. Really slippery. Push them too much and they’re likely to do the exact opposite of what you want, or worse, resent you because they think you don’t love them the way they are. Below are some tips for encouraging healthy habits without sounding like a Broccoli Nazi.
For Your Kids:
If your children are younger, they probably still want to do what you do. If you drink a green smoothie, they’re probably going to want a taste. If you eat fruit for dessert instead of a brownie, they’re likely to ask for the same thing. If you’re not setting a healthy example, it’s going to be very hard to change their habits.
Let them be involved. Ask your kids what foods they’d like to eat during the week and make them healthier. If they want mac and cheese, buy the whole wheat kind and add frozen veggies. Let them help you cook, too. If possible, allow kids to choose components of their individual meals. Prepare single-serving pizzas with whole grain crusts, or have a taco night and let kids choose their fillings. Encourage them to add a veggie or two (and of course lead by example!) and praise them for their good choices.
Finger foods rule. Kids love to eat with their hands! Cut up whole wheat pitas into triangles and toast them, then provide hummus, tomato sauce, or nut butter for dipping. Same thing goes for fruits and veggies. Cut items into bite-size pieces and provide fun dipping items for them to enjoy.
Teens might be harder to crack, especially if they don’t already have healthy eating habits. Instead of trying to change the foods they eat completely, try adding in whole grains, more fruits and veggies, and asking for their help in the kitchen. Perhaps they have a favorite meal when dining out that you could try to recreate together. Maybe their best friend’s parents make something really delicious that they want to make at home, too!
For Your Partner:
Trying to get your partner to change their eating habits is hard. Really hard. Try my suggestions, below and remember not to take it personally if your honey doesn’t feel the way you do about healthy eating.
Make smart choices yourself. If you start making healthier meals your partner is bound to notice. Maybe you’ll lose a few pounds or your skin will be glowing, or maybe you’ll be full of energy you never had before. The love in your life may ask what you’re doing and want to take on some changes themselves.
Cook together at least once a week. Make eating healthy romantic. Research recipes together and pick something that sounds good to both of you. Turn on some relaxing music, pour a couple of glasses of wine, and make a veggie-filled dinner together. Then, sit down and eat it while looking at each and talking, not while watching TV. (Um, not that we ever actually sit at the table in our house, but it’s a nice idea!)
Try new things. Have you ever made banana soft serve? Make a big old bowl (add cocoa powder and peanut butter to make a more decadent treat) and plop down next to your loved one. I guarantee they’re going to want a bite of this cold, creamy treat. No ice cream necessary. There are all sorts of healthy alternatives to traditional junk foods out there, you just have to give them a try! The more healthy stuff you eat and keep in the house, the more likely your significant other is going to try them, too.
Set healthy goals as a team. Maybe the two of you want to have a challenge to see who can eat the most fruits and vegetables for the coming week. The winner gets a prize, like a foot rub or a week off of dish duty. Perhaps you each want to lose a couple of pounds, and you have a 30 day contest to see who can lose the greatest percentage of weight. Make health fun for both of you and you’re much more likely to stick to it.
For Everyone Else In Your Life:
Do you work in an office? They are notoriously bad places for healthy living, what with all the birthday parties, cookies and donuts brought in by co-workers trying to be thoughtful, and lunches out or happy hours after work. You certainly can’t change everyone, but when you pack your own lunch, skip the birthday cake and have a fruit cup instead, or pack healthy snacks, people are bound to notice. They might make fun of you for doing things differently, but when they see how energetic you are and how good you feel, they may want to kick things up a notch in their own lives.
Do your parents eat an awful diet? Whenever I’m at my parents’ house, I check out the fridge and cabinets and (perhaps annoyingly) check for stuff like high fructose corn syrup and trans fats. Not all parents appreciate this, but mine actually want to know if what they’re eating is healthy, so I try to key them in. I also like to cook for them, and often times bring over a healthy muffin or main dish for them to much on during the week. If you already live a healthy lifestyle, why not show your parents that it can taste great by sharing some of your meals?
When you go out with your friends to they encourage you to drink too much and order the deep fried macaroni and cheese balls? That can be fun once in a while, but so is finding a way to be healthy together. Instead of meeting for drinks, how about meeting for a walk and then getting a light dinner after? Instead of downing 3 pints each, why not order a glass of red wine each and savor the flavor? Friends are also great for setting healthy goals with. Have a fruit-veggie-eating contest as I mentioned above, with the prize being something fun, like taking the winner out for a mani/pedi.
Jen Trinque is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Certified Life Coach, Trained Mediator, and lover of all things nature. Check out her site for more info.
