Eating Healthy As A Family – One Day At A Time!

GoTime Training WichitaThank you to Go Time Training for sponsoring this guest post and for bringing quality fitness and nutrition programs to our community of moms.  

Let’s be honest, as moms, most of us would rather eat chocolate instead of fruits and vegetables, right? So would our kids – and according to health statistics, they probably are!

I’m won’t bore you with stats, but if you struggle with getting your kids to eat healthy, we may need to make sure you’re eating healthy first. We all know how much our kids look up to us – how they mimic everything we do (the good and the bad!) and how they want to be just like us.

As moms, we put everyone before ourselves! Our kids, our husband, our house, our pets – you name it, they all get taken care of before we even think about taking care of ourselves.

As a Nutrition Coach at GoTimeTraining, and a mother of two, I’ve felt the same way many times. I’ve had the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom until my kids were the age of 7 and 9. It’s only been six months since I’ve started working full-time, so I know first-hand the struggles that come with both roles.

Eating healthy as a family starts with us moms, and it starts at breakfast.

Mornings can be rushed trying to wake kids up (which seems to take forever), get them dressed, make breakfast, and pack lunches while making sure teeth are brushed, hair is combed, and homework is signed. Ugh, I’m exhausted just thinking about school starting back up soon.

However, I’m a firm believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Sorry moms, coffee doesn’t count as a well-balanced breakfast (though it can definitely be included). In order to get your brain working and your metabolism burning, you need breakfast.

I always stress to my clients that they day must start with a with a well-balanced breakfast! What do I mean by “well-balanced”?

Like all meals, your breakfast needs all three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

The first macronutrient you should have is protein: eggs/whites, turkey sausage/bacon, protein powder, Greek yogurt, etc. Second is carbohydrates: fruits or whole grains are my go-to choices. Lastly, don’t forget healthy fats such as oils, nuts, nut butters, or even real butter.

I think you’ll be surprised how easy it is to build a well-balanced breakfast. To prove it, here’s a one of my family’s favorites: Apple Pie Overnight Oats. After all, no one can be a superhero on an empty stomach!

Click here to download the Apple Pie Overnight Oats recipe and a few other quick and easy breakfast ideas. You, the kids, and your husband won’t want to pass up the Snickers Protein Shake either!

Now that breakfast is out of the way, it’s time to focus on lunch!

It’s best if lunch is quick, but of course we want to keep it healthy, too. Forget the pizza Lunchables and frozen PB&J UnCrustables – let’s make our own! By the way, if you don’t have a sandwich sealer and decruster, then I suggest you get one! They are one of my all-time favorite kitchen gadgets.

Click here for step-by-step instructions on healthier lunch options, made with love by mom, yet super quick alternative to the highly processed, convenient options we are tempted with at the grocery store.

Snack time!

Next comes the afternoon, “Mom I’m hungry!”. It’s best to have some healthy snacks in your arsenal to fight this potential battle. You would be amazed at how many of your go-to snacks can actually be made at home!

Yes, it takes time and effort, but at the end of the day you’re doing your children wonders by putting foods in their bodies that are high in vitamins and minerals. Things like Pudding Pops, Go-gurt with hidden veggies (these are the zipzicles that I use), and fruit snacks can be easily made in advance!

A few other hits in my house are Peanut Butter Protein Balls and Peanut Butter Granola! Put either one in some Greek yogurt (or eat them plain) and they are again the perfect mixture of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats! I guarantee your kids will love them and you will feel great knowing they are eating quality foods!

Click here to download your Guide to Healthy DIY Kid Snacks, including pudding pops, fruit roll-ups, and no-bake energy bites .

What’s for dinner?

OK moms, we all know dinner can be the trickiest meal of the day. You’re shuttling hungry kids to games and practices – not to mention, your hubby likely isn’t a fan of eating “healthy”, right?

Don’t you even think about McDonald’s!

I’ve got your back! I’ve packaged up a few killer dinner recipes that are family favorites in my house. Yes, you can still enjoy pizza, lasagna, chicken nuggets, and mozzarella cheese stick but without all the processed chemicals and added fat.

Get the kids excited by having them help you with these delicious dinner recipes!

Congratulations, Mom, You made it through an entire day of healthy eating!

Remember, your healthy cooking skills will get better every day, and slowly those frozen meals will be a thing of the past.

As moms, we have control over what our kids eat, so let’s show them how fun and tasty eating healthy can be.

If you have any recipes you’d like to see made healthy, be sure to LIKE us on Facebook and post it to our page. To receive weekly healthy recipes, text “news” to 316.835.0666, and we’ll include you in our Thursday evening newsletters!

Author :: Stefanie Griffin
GoTimeTraining Nutrition Coach | ACE Certified Personal Trainer

GoTime Training Postnatal Fitness | Wichita Moms BlogKalene Smith, and Shannon Dykman first met in 2009 and through their friendship, began to take their health and fitness passion to a higher level. Saying goodbye to their corporate jobs, Kalene and Shannon started coaching online, and in 2012 opened their own personal training studio. In 2015 they outgrew that space and moved into their new GoTimeTraining building. Now their mission is to #transform500 lives in the next year to become the healthiest and happiest they can be.

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