The Nanny Boutique’s Tips for Healthy Family Nutrition

Here at the Nanny Boutique, we don’t believe that the word “healthy” is synonymous with gross or yucky.  It is easier said than done when trying to help your children keep a healthy nutritious lifestyle, and here in the Triangle we understand the difficulties many families face concerning a well-balanced diet. Yet, becoming more nutritious doesn’t have to be a chore!  Our North Carolina nannies and sitters are very glad to give some helpful advice in regards to the foods you keep on hand for your children and family.

Our Nanny Boutique sitters have seen it many times before- potato chips in the oven, candy bars in the medicine cabinet… parents will result to anything when it comes to hiding junk food from their kids. Yet, chances are if you don’t allow it to come into the house in the first place, then your kids won’t go searching for it.  By eliminating the bad stuff while you grocery shop, you set a good example for your children.  By making a special trip out to get an ice-cream cone, instead of keeping tubs of ice-cream in the freezer, you make it a special family event in which everyone gets a nice treat.

When you are making healthy choices, don’t always listen to what the front of a box can shout at you.  Just because a product claims to be reduced fat or whole wheat, does not necessarily make that product is a healthy one.  Our North Carolina Nannies know that the only thing on the box that counts is the Nutrition Facts label and, even then, appearances may be deceiving.  Be sure to always check the serving size and compare the portions to what you realistically eat as a family and remember, the healthiest foods are the ones that don’t come from a box in the first place.

If you seem to be having a hard time getting your children to believe that nutritious foods can also be very yummy, don’t be discouraged.  Our Nanny Boutique sitters see this situation all of the time!  Many families are often afraid that healthy foods won’t taste as good, but there are many options out there for families to try.  Fresh squeezed juice can be frozen to make popsicles that contain natural sugars, and smoothies made with plain yogurt can also be a yummy treat as well.  The only way to know whether or not something will taste good is to try it out!

Some other concerns many families come across regarding health are cost and time.  Many parents believe that it is cheaper to pick up fast food than it is to buy fresh produce.  While it is definitely more convenient, fast food almost always ends up being pricier than cooking at home.  When you cook at home, it can be a way for families (and nannies!) to work together while bonding.  Home cooking isn’t nearly as tedious when everyone in the family pitches in a hand and along with all that healthy food you’ve been eating comes more energy. Your body will thank you for it!

When it comes to staying healthy, remember that we live in a city that makes an active lifestyle very attainable.  North Carolina is such a beautiful, green state and Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Cary are full of amazing resources such as numerous parks and farmer’s markets.  At Nanny Boutique, our babysitters and nannies understand that staying healthy and active is not always an easy thing to accomplish in the beginning, but by doing it together as a family you can find that you have a fantastic support system that cannot be beat!

 

The Nanny Boutique is a nanny and babysitting agency that specializes in placing caregivers or babysitters and nannies in the Apex, Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill areas.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 18th, 2013 at 3:43 pm and is filed under Raleigh Nanny & Babysitting Blog, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.