Guest Blogger

Inspired by Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, you have run into your kitchen, thrown open the cupboard doors, and vowed to start a food revolution in your own home. But as you stand there, looking at the boxes and cans, and packets, the realization sweeps over you that you really aren't sure where to start. Will the kids mutiny when they realize you've switched their fruit roll ups for apples? Are you afraid that you'll be spending hours chained to your stove, cooking everything from scratch like the pioneers? Don't fear. Here's your very own guide to starting a revolution in your home.

1.  Start small
Change doesn't happen overnight, and besides, if your family is used to mostly processed food, a cold turkey switch to fresh might send everyone into a tailspin. Make small changes that you, and your family, can live with. Start by decreeing one night a week as "family dinner night," where as a family, you all sit down together to a home made meal. Make sure you choose a day of the week where you have no other obligations so that you don't feel stressed out and in a rush. Once you've mastered one night, take on another.

2.  Educate yourself
A key part of starting a food revolution is knowledge. You don't need to be a chef to learn how to cook some basic items, and a little know how goes a long way. A good place to start is learning a bit about reading labels. According to the Canadian Stroke Network, adults need only 1,500 mg of sodium every day -- but we consume far more than that. High sodium lurks in even the most healthy-looking cereals, so read up and go to the store armed with lots of knowledge! These days, there are all sorts of resources online for beginner cooks, so you should have no difficulty getting your cooking questions answered. (Did you know that YouTube has cooking videos?)

3.  Take Control of the Groceries
One surefire way to keep from eating junk food is to just refrain from buying it. Leave the kids at home when you shop, if you can, and bypass the aisles where you know you'll be tempted. Stop at a local farmer's market and get to know the farmers, who can give you tips on tasty ways to enjoy their wares.

Plan your list, and stick to it. Instead of sugary fruit cups, buy fresh strawberries. Leave the Cheez Whiz on the shelf and buy real cheese. Whip up a batch of home made muffins for lunchboxes instead of granola bars. Instead of that highly processed Lunchable, make your own with cheese, lean meat, fruit, and veggies. You can do it!  Will the kids balk at not having fruit leather in their lunch anymore?  Maybe, but give them time.  Eventually they'll get used to it.

4.  Get Organized
I find that the more I plan and organize our meals, the better I am at sticking to it. Fruit and veggies are washed and prepped right when we get home from the store so that they are ready to eat straight from the fridge. Sometimes I make a pot of soup and freeze it in single-sized servings, so when I'm rushed we have something that we can just grab and heat up. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate. 

Start small, by doing one or two things you feel you can handle, and master those before you add more. We keep a calendar on the fridge where I write the week's menu, so that everyone knows what's for dinner and I can keep on track. Recipes for the week are marked with a sticky note and close at hand. That way I know exactly what I'm making for dinner every night, and there's no panic at 5pm wondering what I'm going to make.

5.  Make it a Family Affair
Kids love to be involved and there are so many ways to get them in on a food revolution. Visit a farm and let them see exactly where their fruits and veggies come from. Try going on a "Veggie Safari", by visiting the produce section of the grocery store and seeing how many things you can identify. The catch? The child gets to pick something to come home with them for a snack.  If you aren't sure what some things are, ask the staff; they usually are happy to tell you the best way to serve a particular fruit or veggie.

Besides eating veggies, try reading about them (Eating the Alphabet), then get some plant pots and grow some of your own! Peas, beans, and carrots are easy to start with. Create some fun snacks with healthy foods, let them help you in the kitchen, and make being active fun by going outside and riding bikes or hiking with them. A revolution starts small, day by day, with the little things.  With you leading the way, they'll be on the road to healthy eating in no time.

After all, you are their greatest teacher.

Karen Humphrey has been writing from the Vancouver, BC area about family and food at Notes From the Cookie Jar since 2006. Thrown into the kitchen when she became foster mom to teenagers at the tender age of 21, she learned how to create tasty, healthy meals and to navigate all the planning that goes with it! [Read the Globe and Mail's feature on Karen Humphrey here.]