Who controls the health in your home?

So I was listening to the radio the other day and something caught my attention. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since. The man (whose name I honestly didn’t catch as I wish I could give him credit!) was commenting on the health and obesity crisis in our communities today and he said, “whoever controls the grocery list in the home controls the health of the entire family.” 

I had to stop for a minute and think about that one. Could something so simple be so key and so true? I mean, we’ve all heard “abs are made in the kitchen” and I know I’ve nagged my kids to “make healthy choices” so much they repeat it back more out of a sense of duty than because they want to. Many parents complain about their families eating so much “crap” all the time. Is the answer to it all just a matter of not buying it in the first place?

Back before I started eating clean and food prepping, I will tell you I bought it all. And lots of it. I shopped from the middle aisles of the grocery, I bought the snacks, the ready-made, the “diet version because it’s healthier.” So if my grocery list dictated the health of the family we were our carb-loaded, sugar-laden best. And it showed.

“Whoever controls the grocery list in the home controls the health of the entire family.” 

This quote/philosophy/charge works in so many ways it’s amazing. Are we doing the best we can to create a healthy food environment for our families? Are we putting the thought and planning into the meals and snacks that will set everyone up for success? Are we fueling our goals? Are we meeting our needs? Are we being as conscious as we can about the choices and options available to us? The list goes on and on.

Although these questions may seem complex or intimidating, I think the opposite is true. Controlling the health of the family via our food choices/grocery list has simplified things immensely for me. Sure, it’s less “just add water” meals from a box, but the cooking time hasn’t really increased. What has changed is the kind and the quality of food that I buy and prepare. The places I shop have changed. Seasonal foods stock our fridge and the farmers’ market is where I start thinking about our food. I now create a meal plan for the week and then create a grocery list to support it versus letting the grocery ads dictate what I buy.

“Whoever controls the grocery list in the home controls the health of the entire family.” 

The change to clean eating and food prep didn’t happen overnight, and I’m still learning as I go. Start small; maybe you’ll just try lunches for a bit. Do some research, ask some friends, take a class, team up with someone else that wants to get started so you can bounce ideas off each other. You don’t have to come up with crazy fancy recipes; keep things simple. Make small changes, they lead to big results in the end. Trust me there are times when we succumb to treats. That’s OK; I mean, a treat is just that and that’s why they made Oreos, right? And if I could just get my husband to break his Sprite habit! But I know that it’s working when my kids say that fast food now makes their stomachs hurt. Or when my daughter is making her lunch and says, “Oh! I still need a protein!” and my son says he needs more apples because he doesn’t want us to run out. Bit by bit, I know I have reshaped the way we deal with food in our house. Does this mean I control the health of the entire family? I’m not sure… yet. But I will say this without a doubt. My kids can no longer say they grew up in a house full of junk food. Instead, we have fresh, clean, healthy food and you don’t hear me complain about my kids “eating crap” all the time.

Make healthy choices, everyone.