Every parent has at one point or another tried to get their kids to eat more broccoli or less sugar. These are completely natural and realistic sentiments. But what about if you’re keeping to a specialty diet, whether for health, dietary, or ethical reasons? It’s decidedly less realistic to expect your kids to indulge in your newfound love for plant-based foods or all-vegan desserts.
Many parents have found themselves trying to balance their own diets with the foods their kids like. On the one hand, you can’t expect them to suddenly start eating your specialty foods, but on the other, you don’t want to put yourself in a position where you’re more likely to break your diet, whether out of convenience or temptation, and surrender to that bowl of oily pasta or ice cream.
To put it bluntly, you can’t expect your kids to follow the same diets you set for yourself. But with only a limited amount of time to cook–to say nothing of a limited amount of pots, pans, kitchen space, and, of course, money–how can parents be expected to essentially create two completely different meals, three times a day?
It’s not easy, that’s for sure. But it’s not impossible either. Today, there are a number of tips, services, and products making it easier than ever for those with disparate dietary needs to dine together without any overlap. Read on for some tips on how to serve your kids the food they love while staying true to your own weight-loss, health, or dietary goals.
Cover Your Bases with Meal Delivery Services
Meal kit delivery services send you everything you need to make a quick, effortless meal: pre-cut ingredients, sauces, spices, and a quick recipe to follow. Even better, some of them offer fully prepared meals that you simply heat and eat.
More and more of these meal delivery companies are focusing on specialty diets for weight-loss, plant-based eating, and even medical needs such as diabetic diets. This recent Splendid Spoon review, for example, describes how you can fill your fridge with affordable, ready-to-eat plant-based meals that are free of troublesome ingredients and sure to keep you on track.
By using meal kits to cover your own dietary needs, you’ll be left with the energy, kitchen space, and best of all, will power, needed to serve your kids what they want without straying from your goals.
Get Your Kids Involved
It’s no secret that kids are prone to resist directions, but are all the happier to engage in something if they think they came up with the idea.
If you’re trying to introduce healthier, more wholesome habits into your table, don’t simply force your kids to put up with your new food. Instead, find brands and foodstuffs that fit your criteria but let your kids choose which ones to buy. Get them involved in the cooking process. Use a little reverse psychology if you have to; if your kids think that dinner was their idea, there’s a good chance they’ll enjoy it more.
Meanwhile, you can sit back and smile, knowing that not only are you sticking by your health goals, but your kids are eating better too.
Find a Balance that Works for You
Losing weight and eating better is never easy, and especially when you have a bunch of hungry mouths to feed that aren’t likely to tolerate substitute meats and dairy-free ice cream. The trick is to strike a balance between keeping them happy and following your health and diet goals. If you decide to eat your own healthy meals, make sure you don’t give in to temptation and serve yourself a scoop of ice cream. If you’re getting the whole family involved, make sure to give your kids some say over what they’re eating, and let them voice their opinions about what they like and don’t like. This is the best way to stick to your goals without letting your family duties throw you off track.