Our daily lives have been changed dramatically during the current pandemic, but thankfully there is lots of advice out there to help us all adjust to this new normal.
One of the most important areas is around food and nutrition and what we are feeding ourselves and our families as we are staying home together. Everyone is in a different place right now – you may be cocooning, feeding a teenage family, trying to work and mind children but remember that this is a new normal for everyone right now so we need to try our best. Just remember, doing your best is good enough when it comes to nutrition.
We know that eating well is good for mind and body. Maintaining healthy diets will benefit everyone at this challenging time, so do try to establish healthy routines.
Here are some tips to help you stay on track with healthy eating habits:
Form a Routine
Habits take time to both establish and to change, so start with small steps. Don’t decide to radically overhaul your diet right now, just build a healthy routine which can help everyone in the family.
It is a good idea to set mealtimes for the whole household and try as much as possible to stick to that – it will give the day structure.
Encourage children to help
Now is a great time to teach basic cooking skills to children and more adventurous meals for teenagers or other family members.
Before you know it you may be having dinner prepared for you! There are lots of recipes on ndc.ie for some inspiration.
Plan A Weekly Menu
If you are only going to the shops infrequently or someone is dropping the groceries to your house, then having a list is the most effective way to prevent food waste and to allow you to make a range of healthy meals.
Stock up your store cupboard with a wide variety of nutritious foods as this will make it easier to put together healthy meals and snacks.
This health and wellbeing page is the third in a five-part series brought to you by the National Dairy Council. Check out ndc.ie for more information on enjoying dairy as part of a healthy, balanced diet and for recipe ideas.