Research has shown that children imitate their parents’ eating habits from a very early age. Although this may seem intimidating, modeling healthy eating behaviors can often be as simple as incorporating the advice you give to your children on a daily basis into your own life.
Becoming a Healthy Eater by Eating Like A Kid
Keep Sweets in Moderation. Sweets taste great, but you would never let your child eat unlimited amounts of them. The same should apply to you. Keep your sweets in check and look to indulge your sweet tooth in more creative ways. Many fruits, nuts, and spices can add a hint of sweet to some of your favorite dishes. This will help save you many empty calories in the long run and give you the opportunity to seek out more nutritionally dense foods when hunger strikes.
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Most parents understand the importance of incorporating healthy foods into their child’s day; however, raising healthy eaters often takes more than just providing the foods you know are good for them on a regular basis.
To teach your children healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime, it’s important to include them in the process. Let them help you plan the menu, cook in the kitchen, and experiment with the ingredients you have stocked in the kitchen. This will create opportunities for you and your child to openly discuss the food they eat and why they eat it. It’s also a great way to spend some quality one-on-one time with your child.
Not all parents find this discussion easy to start. Some may not even enjoy incorporating healthy foods into their daily meal plan or the process of cooking. If this is the case, you may find that making nutrition a priority for your children becomes a family affair. To help you and the rest of your family take the leap into a nutritious state of mind, try the following:
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If you’re looking to eat healthier this holiday season, you may not need to look further than your spice rack. Not only can some of your favorite seasonal spices add a little holiday cheer to your favorite dishes, they can also increase the nutritional benefit of each bite that you take.
Ginger
Historically, ginger has been credited with settling an upset stomach; however, the benefits of ginger go far beyond occasional stomach relief. In fact, ginger contains very powerful anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These compounds have been shown to reduce pain in those with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis when consumed regularly. Gingerols may also help inhibit the growth of human colorectal and ovarian cancer cells.
To get more ginger in your diet, try Broiled Nectarines with Ginger Syrup
Nutmeg
Nutmeg is a flavorful herb that enhances the flavor of potatoes, chicken, fish, cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage dishes. In a recent study, nutmeg has been shown to play a role in tooth decay prevention due to its antibacterial properties.
To get more nutmeg in your diet, try Greek Yogurt with Honey Roasted Figs
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Along with the holidays often comes the joy of traveling. Although holiday travel may be a fun break from routine, it can also cause a major road block on your path towards better eating. To help you avoid the holiday vacation food trap, here are a few simple tips to keep you eating well as you make a trip to spend time with loved ones.
Avoiding the Holiday Vacation Food Trap
Plan Ahead
You probably already have a travel itinerary for where you plan to go, who you plan to visit, and what you plan to do. Why not also think in advance about what and where you are going to eat? Use the Internet to seek out your healthy eating options before you leave or ask the friends and family you are visiting what restaurants offer the most nutritious meals in their area.
Pack Snacks
Whether you are traveling by train, car, plane, or even boat, grab and go foods seem to always be available to curb mid-travel munchies. Instead of relying on what your mode of transportation has to offer, come prepared with your own healthy snacks. Veggie strips, baked chips, granola, fresh fruit, and almonds all make great travel options.
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Robby is a 30-year-old weight-loss/health-gain/rad-maintain fanatic in Washington, DC. You can find her at fatgirlvsworld.blogspot.com and 
@fatgirlvsworld on Twitter. In the “real world” you can find her being tortured by an elliptical or throwing punches in a boxing ring. She has two cats who use her as a trampoline in the middle of the night. She loves wine, hates umbrellas, and has never seen an episode of True Blood. She may or may not be a ninja.
I don’t even want to imagine how ludicrous it might have looked: everyone sitting around the Thanksgiving table trying not to say the wrong thing in front of my boyfriend or stare at him too long. Sure he was a little big, and a bit different than the rest of us, but he and I had been together for so many years and I had grown to love, cherish, and rely on him. But I can see things from my family’s perspective as well. Why did Robby bring her refrigerator to Thanksgiving?
Yep. I just said that. For years I had been in an exclusive, dependent, and toxic relationship with my refrigerator. I would come home from work and go straight to him. If work was bad, I’d find something inside that would comfort me. If work was good, I’d find something inside to celebrate. If work was neither bad nor good, I would still check in to see what was happening. Same thing when I was bored, excited, tired, stressed or even without any discernible emotion.
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