All parents want the best for their children. But of course, it’s not always feasible (or sometimes truly necessary) to give ‘the best’ in all things. For instance, it might be that goose eggs are some of the tastiest and largest eggs you can buy, but instead of finding the right purveyor to order them from, odds are you’re happy with free-range chicken eggs to fry and place on toast for them in the morning. This isn’t ‘the best,’ as a pedantic person might point out, but it’s certainly good enough.
This makes us wonder - especially as it relates to food - could we ensure our children eat better and more healthily at home without overextending ourselves in the kitchen, or spending that much more on our grocery bill? Times are tough for many people at the moment, so spending more on a higher quality supermarket may not be feasible, nor may purchasing or growing everything fresh be a realistic part of our lifestyle.
While that kind of best may not be available, you can certainly do the best you can. Let’s see how to go about that:
Make Homemade Pasta!
A homemade pasta recipe, made with love, can rival even the best restaurants especially when it comes to having control over the constituent ingredients your children enjoy. Making wheat pasta, or making sure the pasta is fresh and delicious can render this most indulgent and carb-heavy food into something light, fresh, delicious, and of course an extension of your care and home cooking skills. Often crafting elements from scratch can help you identify exactly what’s going into the food you provide your kids, and so partaking in this effort once in a while will make a tremendous difference.
Switch To Frozen Vegetables, But Fresher Meats
It’s easy to think that frozen vegetables are somehow lesser than their fresher counterparts, but as they’re picked and frozen almost immediately, they can retain their nutritional profile more easily than vegetables that have been sat out in the supermarket all day. With the money you save here, you can also opt for better cuts of meat or free-range chickens, and organic foods that have no pesticides or other alterations. As you can see, making those alternative decisions can help you adjust your budget without really suffering from it, but increase the quality of the foods you eat in the long run.
Switch Out The Sugary/Salty Snacks
It can be healthy to ensure children feel able to enjoy snacks and other foods without necessarily giving them the most sugary or salty items. For instance, carrots and hummus can be cheap, sometimes cheaper, than the main brand potato chips, and will provide a much more diverse flavor profile while also being much lower in calories and higher in nutritional value. Making sure you have these kinds of alternatives in the cupboards (and a special indulgent treat where appropriate) can be a great way to reinforce familial health in the long term.
With this advice, you’re sure to help your children eat healthier, for little extra money in the long run.
