Change the Reality

A family goes grocery shopping and buys whatever they need according to the meal plan for the week. They get back and put away the groceries together. They cook their meals at home. The kids help to prep the veggies and they sit down to dinner together every night.

For most families, the above is a fantasy.
Reality is drive thru, soccer games, after school activities and eating on the go.

For now, we have to accept that this is how it is.

The question then is how do you infiltrate a culture, a community, a family with more healthful options? With fruits and veggies?

Because it will only be a a shift in the culture at home and from outside that can bring about real changes in eating patterns and habits.

That means parents making changes at home as well as the village making changes at the baseball field and the principals saying no to handing out candy in school.

If we focus on the positive, the negative dissipates.

Reality can be changed and it begins with you of course.

Buy the Rainbow

We eat fruits and veggies on a regular basis but it's only recently that I started shopping with Eat the Rainbow Challenge in mind.
It makes a HUGE difference.
Once you understand the system and the colors associated with the days, it can be a great guide when shopping for your groceries.
Remember the Michael Pollan's advice about shopping in the periphery of the grocery store?
Well, when you are the produce section, keep in mind the Eat the Rainbow Challenge score sheet and it will be a great tool to help you buy all the colors and thus a varied selection of fruits and veggies for the week.

In Two Years

Two years ago, mornings were stressful in our home.
I didn't wake up early enough.
The kids barely had enough time to eat breakfast and rush out to school.
I rushed them, scolded them for being late and we all were pretty panicky by the time we reached school.
The culprit was me of course.
I changed. I started waking up much earlier and making them wake up earlier too.
Everything got better.
This is our second year of having more time in the mornings.
Most mornings are calm. We have time to eat, finish up any homework and my daughter may even go for a quick bike ride.

The point is things can change. 
If you feel stuck in a pattern of eating unhealthy foods, it's very much possible to change that.
Your plate could look a lot different in two years than it does now.
Be open to change.
And then do it.
Start with yourself.

Satisfaction

I don't dress up every single day.
I do however put in more of an effort if I'm going out to a party.

Similarly, your food does not have to look like it just popped out of a food magazine or blog.
Perhaps if you have time on the weekend or if you are throwing a party, you would spend lots of time making it look like it does on pinterest or your favorite blogger's site.
But on an everyday basis, it's perfectly fine if we can't make rainbow ribbons and beautiful apple carved birds.

Cut some fruit, fill a plate and sit down with your family.
Or by yourself.

Just be. Simple. There's satisfaction in that too.

Three times a day

If we have to do something at least three times a day, it must be important.
VERY important.
What we eat on occasion doesn't matter.
What we eat everyday does.
If you are an adult who makes any decisions in your home about food, pay attention.
It's tempting to start by giving a lecture to everyone in the house about eating healthier.
But avoid it.  
Start by taking the lead.
Start by  doing it yourself first.


Get Eat the Rainbow Challenge the Game.

Play is the Beginning of Knowledge ~George Dorsey

Play Eat the Rainbow Challenge for fun.
Eat the colors and earn the points.
Maybe, just maybe in the future it might open more doors.
Cooking, baking, gardening, farmers' markets....just maybe.
But for today, eating colors is more than enough.
Let's just play the game.