KISS - Keep it Super Simple

I'm kind of a back to basics gal who doesn't like to make things harder than they need to be.  So when it comes to keeping kids healthy I like to teach them to just play, without a whole pile of electronic gadgets, to use their imaginations and to eat ordinary real food.  In my experience, convenience foods are not always a healthy choice and over the years I have learned how to make feeding a busy family as simple as possible.  Since I believe that kids' health is pretty much the responsibility of the parents or caregivers I have always found it easier in the long run to set patterns really early in life.  Daily activities and healthy food for the whole family is a great foundation.  Why would you go to the trouble of buying great baby food, maybe even organic baby food for your infants, and then turn around and give them convenience foods when they are no longer infants. So follow through with the foundation you are setting for your little ones by eating that way yourself and feeding the rest of your family the same way.  It may take a little getting used to and some changes and organization but it is possible to keep your whole family as healthy as possible with real food and great family activities.

My suggestion is to pick a couple of times during your week, maybe 15 minutes after each meal or a couple of hours on the weekend, to do some food prep.  Pre-cut some real food like veggie sticks and have a healthy dip ready to go with it.  When you cook a healthy casserole, and you can make a few changes in many of your family favourites, make twice as much and freeze one. If you cook a bigger meal on the weekend cook it with leftovers in mind for a couple of nights later. Include older children in the food prep in the house.  This is how they will learn so they will have an easier time of making better choices as they grow up.

My energy is at a low spot after work or at dinner time so I don't like doing a lot in the kitchen at that time.  Convenience foods have never been an option in our house, however, making a quick salad to add to a leftover dish I can handle.  It's healthy and fast. When I make homemade soup I make HUGE amounts and freeze it in meal sized containers.  Pull it out in the morning and just heat it up at dinner, add a whole grain roll or bread if you like, and/or a salad, or veggies and dip and sit down and eat together.

I have found ways to keep it super simple so my family learns the basics of healthy eating and how to make it happen.  You can too.

You are all worth it.