After a massive health crisis in my mid-twenties I knew that something had to change…like literally HAD to change because I was living with chronic pain, debilitating fatigue and my body and organs were beginning to shut down. After years of working on my own healing I realized that I was never going to figure this thing (aka myself) out without getting ALL the information so I went back to school to get a Masters of Science degree in Nutrition and Integrative Health. Now as a Board Certified Nutritionist I work with clients to help them get their lives back by healing the gut. However, with four kiddos, a growing business and a crazy busy life I’ve started to truly understand the challenges facing families who are dealing with health concerns and feel like it’s nearly impossible to change their nutrition to achieve wellness goals. I’ve created a list of a few priorities that you can get started on if you feel overwhelmed at the prospect of changing up your lifestyle. If you KNOW that somethings gotta give if you’re going to live life to the fullest and give you kids their best shot at being mindful and healthy human beings then start here:
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Make eating whole foods a way of life not a “diet.”
Easier said than done I KNOW! Start small by adding in nutrient dense snacks (nuts and seeds, olives, fruit, veggies and hummus, nitrate free lunch meat roll ups etc). Then move to making over breakfast, lunch, and eventually overhauling the family dinner which research has shown can actually changed the social trajectory of kids and adult’s quality of life index! Focus on the positive – aka “adding in” as opposed to the negative of “taking away.” We teach more in depth on this in our Family Wellness Course.
“The key to eating health supportive and nourishing foods consistently without feeling like it’s a burden or you’re missing out is to simply add a few small changes at a time until those become habits.” -Emily Nielsen MS, CN, CNS
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Delegate!
Another good idea is to have each person in the family be in charge of one nutrition intervention. Not only does this create buy in for kids with picky palates but it starts affirming a positive relationship with food that will follow them throughout their lives. For example, my 11-year-old is in charge of making a veggie scramble with eggs or oatmeal every morning. He uses whatever ingredients we have around and loves to create new combinations. The 6-year-old is in charge of snack baggies of nuts and seeds and dried fruit and the 13-year-old makes afternoon smoothie out of the smoothie bags we prepped ahead. The 7-year-old is useless in the kitchen so he’s on clean up duty usually.
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Plan ahead for success.
Make a plan: planning is the key to success while you work on creating sustainable habits. I create customized meal plans for clients in the Family Course but you can totally create your own with a little effort and forethought. Turn on your favorite comedy and map out the week so you know what’s coming and which nights are going to need to be “snacky dinner” or crockpot meals and which you have a little time to create something fresh and hot. Using grocery delivery or pick up services can be great to optimize your time and even eating out can be made healthful if just put a little thought into it.
- Plan your meals and have a couple cold salads or soup always cooked and available. https://nielsennutrition.com/2019/04/04/a-tale-of-two-quinoas/
- Eat simply. Cook simply. Make a pot of chicken-vegetable-rice soup. Make a large salad. Cook extra protein and whole grains so you have prepared food on hand so you can grab something quickly.
Pro-Tip: have a back up plan. Life happens! Have a back up plan so when it all goes to heck you’ve still got another option that doesn’t involve a fast food stop or deciding that popcorn is a perfectly acceptable dinner option!
Some of my favorites are: Seeds Of Change, Tasty Bite Meals, Nourish Bowls, Amy’s Frozen Meals,
Crockpot Meal + Frozen Stir-fry Veg OR Steamer Pack, Frozen Tamales (hey no judging they’re gluten and dairy free….)
Examples of what I mean:
http://takeabiteoutofboca.com/2017/01/cooking-for-one-manns-nourish-bowls.html https://amzn.to/2WcIP08
This is a tiny taste of what we go over in my Family Wellness Course where I compress a decade’s worth of nutrition education, parenting tips, dealing with picky eating and TONS more into a six week online course. If you’d like more information please feel free to check it out!
https://nielsennutrition.com/event/family-wellness-makeover/
Emily Nielsen MS, CN, CNS
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