Ways to Get Reluctant Family to Eat Healthy

The fact that you are reading this post tells me a few things about you.

You have probably already had your aha! moment about transitioning to nutrient dense, healthy, real food and a more healthy lifestyle.
Eating real food has resulted in noticable health improvements. Maybe you’ve lost some fat or feel better – or both!
There’s someone in your family that is resistant to changing old eating and lifestyle habits.

Does the resistant family member part sound familiar? Thought so.

The truth is, a lot of people believe getting fit and healthy is too difficult for them. I hear things like, “Oh I could never eat like you. I would starve to death” or “I don’t have time to live in a gym.” The misperceptions are that there would be too much to give up, too much to learn or too much of a time commitment.

When I was overweight, it was terribly daunting for me to contemplate getting fit. My only frame of reference was a history of failed attempts and deprivation. The mental barriers made me very resistant to even try. Was that ever your experience?

That’s why I jotted down some of the tips I’ve picked up along the way about influencing family toward health. Whether you are concerned about your children, spouse, siblings or parents, there’s something here for you. Here are 4 ways to get reluctant family to eat healthy.

1. Take it slow – Aim for 1% per week

Ask family members if they can make a 1% change per week. I heard one doctor refer to this as “1% to wellness”. A 1% change is far less intimidating than total life upheaval. And after two years they will have changed 100%.

In my experience, folks tend to pick up the pace after they start to look and feel better.

The key is to make slow and steady upgrades that you can live with.

When teaching family to eat healthy, take it slow. Try 1% per week. Share on X

2. Make the easiest changes first

At first, I suggest you keep preparing your usual favorite recipes, but try to upgrade one ingredient at a time. There are a number of benefits to this approach.

There’s less sticker shock for one thing. Healthier food will cost a bit more, though there are many ways to eat healthy on a budget.

Another benefit is that healthy real food almost always tastes better, so the first changes will be pleasant and not cause any feeling of being deprived.

Here are some easy changes to try first:

Stop using hydrogenated vegetable oils and switch to healthy coconut and extra virgin olive oil.
Switch from margarin to real butter from grass-fed cows.
Eat real eggs if you have been avoiding them.
Switch to organic canned foods.

Make the easiest changes first when teaching family to eat healthier. Share on X

3. Add. Don’t subtract.

Learn to prepare new healthy dishes and snacks that taste great. Keep those on-hand all the time so they are convenient.

A person can only eat so much. If you keep adding new healthy food a little at a time, eventually the new food crowds out the old. New good habits crowd out old bad habits.

As I did this, I began to notice that food with lots of synthetic ingredients made me feel lousy. Once I made that connection, I didn’t want to eat the junk food anymore.

Some of the easiest healthy food to add:

sweet potatoes
apples
organic salsa and marinara
wild caught salmon
organic, free range eggs
72% cacao chocolate
organic frozen berries and veggies

Learning to eat healthy? Add, don't subtract! Share on X

4. Gently and patiently educate

There are little mottos like “Just eat real food” and “You are what you eat ate” that help give us direction. But it takes awhile to navigate all the ins and outs of why organic is important, product labelling, leaky gut, inflammation, glycemic load, cortisol, GMO’s and phytoestrogens.

Keep it simple. Begin with the idea that food is a set of instructions that directly influence how you look and feel.

Some resources I recommend:

Buy or rent Food, Inc.
Have your family member follow Wellness Repair on Facebook and sign up for my emails.

Teaching someone to eat healthier? Remember to be patient. Share on X

It’s worth the effort

It takes time and patience, but helping our loved ones learn to avoid diseases, feel better and get control of their health is a worthwhile endeavor that will pay off for generations to come. Stay the course and keep making those 1% improvements that stick!

I would love to know what 1% upgrades you have found the most helpful. Leave a comment on my Facebook page and let me know.

Please subscribe to my email list and I will let you know whenever I publish new content to help you become the best and healthiest version of you.

Thanks for reading!
Jeff