A Parent's Guide to Intuitive Eating by Yami Cazorla-Lancaster

Author:Yami Cazorla-Lancaster
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ulysses Press
Published: 2019-03-19T16:00:00+00:00

The Value of Your Time Investment

Planning and preparing nutritious and enjoyable meals for a family is time- and labor-intensive. With our busy modern lifestyles, it can feel like a heavy burden and unpleasant chore. However, it really pays to make this investment for your own health and the health of your family for years and decades to come. Those who spend more time preparing meals consume more fruits and vegetables, and spend less time eating out. If you are not already used to regularly preparing food for your family it may be daunting at first, but the more you practice, the smoother and more fun it will become. These habits pay off exponentially in the long run. When your children are small, enlist the help of your partner or other family members. As your children grow, they can start participating in the menu planning and preparation of the food that you will share together. I estimate that I spend about four hours per week planning, purchasing, and preparing meals for myself and my family. To me, this time is an invaluable investment in our health.

Learning to Cook

Learning to cook is a skill that takes practice, but you don’t need to be afraid. Anybody can learn the basic skills of putting together a simple, nutritious meal.

In the resources section, I have listed several cookbooks that will help you start your journey. I will also provide a few very simple recipes throughout the next section of the book. However, if at first it feels overwhelming and time consuming, just hang in there—it gets easier with time and practice!

Don’t shy away from using convenience items in your favor. Frozen fruits and vegetables, canned beans, and precooked, shelf-stable whole grains all save time. There are precut veggies, prewashed and cut greens and salad mixes. I still use a lot of these products because I value efficiency. After you get the hang of it, you may elect to purchase less convenience items to save money.

To get started with cooking you don’t need much, just a simple kitchen setup, but once you know the basics, you may consider purchasing some very helpful kitchen appliances such as a good blender or food processor, a programmable pressure cooker, or a rice cooker. These appliances are not necessary for cooking healthful meals, but they can save time and effort.

Stocking Your Kitchen

When it comes to home food preparation, many thrive on ease and simplicity. Having ingredients for easy-to-prepare meals readily available in your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer will facilitate the habit of eating wholesome meals at home.

Family meals don’t have to be gourmet. In fact, the simpler you keep things, especially at first, the more likely you are to stick with it.

Although this is not an exhaustive list, I have listed below some items that you can keep in your kitchen to support your family’s healthy eating journey. This is meant to stimulate brainstorming. Feel free to exchange for fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts that you and your family prefer in each category.

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