Changes Our Family Has Made Recently (The Dietary Edition)

I could not think of a clever blog post title, so I went with the exact description what this post entails: changes our family has made recently in the food and beverage realm. 

Spaghetti on a White Coat.

1. We're eating dinner later.

I prioritize family meal time and eating dinner together most nights, however, I do not prioritize including babies in this routine. With Brooke in her current stage of life, making dinner is easier and more enjoyable for me if I feed Brooke first, bathe her, and put her to bed. Then I'm more relaxed and can focus on cooking and sitting down to enjoy dinner with Cam and Brian, which consequently is now around 7 PM. We did this when Cam was a baby and it worked well for us to put him to bed so we could enjoy dinner together. Brooke is obviously included in our meals when we go out to restaurants, but if we are eating dinner at home, she almost always goes to bed first. 

2. I'm cooking more.

Brian and I have alternated being head chef over the years - of the two of us, he's the better cook - but with my current schedule, it makes more sense for me to plan and make our meals. These days, Brian mans the grill and knows he is always on point when cheeseburgers or pork tenderloin are on the menu.

3. We're intentionally adding more vegetables.

This is a direct result of Brian being more vocal about eating healthier. I'm the least picky eater in our family and I will pretty much eat anything, so this was a no-brainer for me. I love vegetables. With Brian on board, I'm now trying to incorporate them more often, usually as a side dish or by making a salad to go with the meal.

4. I'm only buying Spindrift.

In our house we call it "fizzy water" and we all seem to enjoy it. There's basically an entire aisle in the grocery store devoted to these sparkling beverages - LaCroix, Waterloo, Polar, the store brand - so I know we're not the only ones that love it. While it's a splurge to keep our fridge well-stocked, it's really the only drink we buy so I justify the expense. In the past, I rotated brands depending on what was on sale, but Brian noticed that every brand I'd buy, with the exception of Spindrift, had "natural flavors." Natural flavors are questionable. Brian did his research and voiced some concern, but I didn't want to give up our beloved fizzy drinks. The compromise, for now, is Spindrift. It's the only one I've found that is not flavored by natural flavors and  has real fruit listed instead.

Also, Brian cut out alcohol completely in 2024 as his new year's resolution. This year, he's drinking alcohol again, but it's much less. I haven't been buying much at the grocery store for about two years now. This probably deserves an entire blog post - more to come.

5. I stopped buying junk food.

It's here where I could make a strong case that our family never did buy or eat much junk food; however, Brian would disagree. For breakfast, I usually kept cereal, toaster strudels, or frozen waffles on hand. For Cam's lunch, I usually packed some type of Little Debbie or Hostess cupcake. Cam's cereal preference would typically be Cocoa Krispies. Personally, I take no issue with the foods I just listed (in moderation), but Brian vocalized his opinion for me to stop buying these items altogether and to make healthier choices for our family.

I'm not ready (nor do I think I will ever be ready) to eliminate all junk food. For me, ice cream after dinner or an occasional Little Debbie in Cam's lunch box (especially the holiday-themed ones!) are simple joys that can add to life's happiness. Plus, my argument was that no one in our little family had any known health issues or any medical need to cut back on calories/sugar/fat/etc. Brian was more concerned about the unseen health consequences of processed food, even if we all appear very healthy.

This became a battle of the wills and was truly becoming a point of contention in our relationship. 

I could see our future: Irreconcilable Differences due to Uncrustables.  

So I've slowly been trying to make changes.

Plus, you know what they say: "happy husband, happy life." ;-)

I haven't bought any snacks for Cam's lunchbox since last October. Between Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day, there's been no shortage of candy in our house, so I just let Cam put a piece in his lunchbox instead of packing a dessert.

For breakfast, we always have eggs and I've been making bread lately so there's that option. I have continued to buy cereal but only Cheerios. After analyzing the nutritional content in plain Cheerios, I determined this to be a healthy option that's high in protein, fiber, whole grain, and only 2g of sugar. 

Interestingly, these nutritional swaps have been painless. Cam has not voiced any opinion and now asks for Cheerios most mornings. He has not mentioned any change to his lunch box (and says he usually eats only a sandwich anyways because he spends most of his lunchtime talking). 

This is a real-life case study in which I've determined that children are very malleable. If you think your child will be resistant to changes you decide to make for your family (less screens, healthier food, earlier bedtimes, etc), it might surprise you that it's the adults that are more resistant to the changes required of them. 

Anyways, I hope this post inspires you in some way, shape, or form. I'm certain there will continue to be shifts in our family habits and routines, and I'll continue to make adjustments as needed. 

I'll be back next week with more food & bev convo.