So many of us are trying to eat healthier—and we are trying to inspire our families to eat healthier too. Whether you are trying to make a simple change—like getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet; or if you are contemplating a vegetarian diet or doing a complete overhaul of your families eating habits, it is likely that it will not happen overnight. Allowing for gradual adjustment and individual family members to process and get used to the changes will make it a more successful switch.
When I first got divorced many years ago, I decided it would be the perfect time to “go vegetarian.” I had wanted to for years and I figured that my kids were young enough that they would adjust and I also figured that the primary meat-eater was now out of the house, so why not? Instead of taking my time and coming up with a plan, I went whole hog (or whole bean sprouts) into vegetarianism and boy, did my kids balk! I learned the hard way that slow and steady, allowing for time to adjust and get used to things is the better way to go.
We are no longer vegetarians as a family, and we never really were. Our eating habits, however, are overall much healthier, but it took a more moderate approach and an appreciation for individual personalities, preferences, and temperament. We only eat meat at maybe two meals a week and usually that is not red meat. My eldest daughter rarely eats meat at all. All three of my kids have become big salad and fruit fans, but that also took time and creativity. As we gradually experimented with healthier dishes, and as I took a no-pressure approach to offering healthier choices, our family diet has improved drastically AND my kids feel much more ownership in the overall improvement.
Allow for time and adjustment and build up your own knowledge and repertoire—you might want a sudden health improvement and change in your family’s diet, but slow and steady may be more lasting.
See Also the FOOD and HEALTH Blogs