'If they're hungry then they'll eat it, and if they don't eat it then they'll go hungry!'

"Don't tell me you can buy them Air Jordon's for their feet but cannot afford to feed their little bodies healthy nutritious foods either because you are money or time poor! What a load of Bullshit!”

Since July this year I have declared a war on my unacceptable body & health. So I’m sharing some small substitutions I have been making when preparing meals that make all the difference although my family don't taste the difference when eating them. This also means I'm not having to prepare multiple meals for my family because I personally need to make a change. I feel good about knowing exactly what I am putting in their bellies because I prepare it from scratch and personally I am consuming less than half the calories I was in June this year and the years before.

Some Basic substitutions that I have made are.

1. Coconut Milk (you won’t taste the coconut!) in place of Regular milk. In our house this means buying 3 different types of milk :( Soy for Vaughn, Coconut for me and Whole milk for the boys. But it’s worth it. 70 Calories for a cup of coconut milk vs. 150 calories in whole milk. However in my coffee I use a dash of soy milk as the coconut milk can sometimes make it a little sour.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

2. Coconut Oil in place of Butter/Margarine & any recipe that calls for any other kind of Hydrogenated Oils. A great suggestion from my Friend Ayesha, she mentioned it, I researched it and since have used nothing else.

3. Stevia/Zevia as a substitute for Sugar. (You won’t notice the difference! I swear it!) I use it in baking, my coffee and anything else that needs a little sweetness. Super sweet so you will use less and calories wise it’s less than a quarter than refined sugar would be. It is however much more pricey although since you will use less it’s same same.. don’t let it stop you! (do not use splenda)
4. Whole wheat flour instead of All Purpose or white flour in general. It is a little denser so if your recipe calls for self-raising, a bit of baking power may be required as well.

5. Whole Wheat Pasta vs. Regular white pasta types. No Brainer really just a matter of picking up a different package.

6. Brown rice vs. White kinds. Another No brainer, we all know this one! Also Quinoa is a great substitute (I myself go with brown rice but am trying to transition to quinoa the texture is a put off for me.)

7. Ground Turkey instead of Ground Beef (This one isn't my personal favourites, yet much lower in fat but boo hoo I miss beef! :) Vaughn is behind this change L

8. We only buy whole wheat bread for sandwiches (I freeze a few loaves- I find organic bread does de-frost better than non-organic), I also buy Brown whole wheat tortillas to use for wraps instead of sandwiches. 2 slices of whole wheat bread 100 calories each vs. 90-100 calories for 1x wheat tortilla your literally consuming half the calories just by using a wheat tortilla instead. Or you could also just use Lettuce leaves -one of my friends recently convinced me this is the way I should go :) makes sense.

9. Egg whites vs. Regular I would recommend Organic Brown eggs (you will definitely notice the difference!!) I don't always use egg white only depending on the recipe although it definitely a better alternative. Get a standard water bottle (empty) squeeze all the air out and place the top over the yolk and let go, it should suck it up leaving you with the egg white.

10. Devin our 4 year old like most American kids Loves Fries!! Although he doesn't get them very often anymore at all, I have started to prepare Baked Sweet potato fries instead as a side, needless to say it took a minute but he is caving slowly to the new guy! :)

Along with a bunch of new meals I have discovered and have been trying, I also prepare the same dishes I have for years although I tweak the prep, or cooking method as much as I can to ensure the dish is made as healthy as possible.

In saying all of this, I’m no pro! And don’t pretend to be. I have become very aware of what I have been doing to myself for way too long, and even worse although I regularly prepare meals for my family I have not been doing them any favours by just simply making sure they had food to eat, My Husband and Kids deserve the best I can offer and I am determined to give it to them.

I'm sure there are things I do now I will alter or change in the future, I am open to it for the better. And all this doesn't mean we don't indulge in treats & sweets we do, but they should be more like rewards not the norm.

As I’m finishing this up Dev, my 4 year old has just asked me for a bowl of fruit because he's hungry! This is when you know you’re doing something right! I have an awesome partner in this war on food or unnecessary foods that is, my husband Vaughn supports me in experimenting and change, and also sets an awesome example with the kiddies when it comes to healthy eating habits! He's never too lazy to slice an apple for his sons.

Finally my children are young and impressionable and often when people see the meals I prepare from the pictures I post they ask me, "Do your kids eat the food you make?", "How do you get your kids to eat their food?” My answer to that is this. I don't do things for the kick I get out of it, and for all the thought that I put into planning their meals, grocery shopping and preparing them on little to no sleep that I do, and this all obviously second to the fact that these are healthy & appropriate meals to eat, I basically believe that, " If they're hungry they'll eat it!, if they don't eat it then they will go hungry!". Dev has gone to bed many a time telling me how hungry he is, I tell him I can warm his dinner that he did not eat, and if he declines, then his belly will continue to hurt. There is no negotiations. For breakfast or snacks he has choices, which are oatmeal, cheerios or toast regular or French toast, some mornings when I’m off I may cook wheat pancakes or eggs, none of which do we add sugar to as an alternative we will add sliced banana. And snacks we are always stocked with fruit or granola (aka muesli) bars, yogurts and veggie chips which Devin will devour. He does get rewarded with a lollipop or a scoop of ice cream if he has been a good boy and eaten all his food but never because he just tried to.

Small changes have caused a huge change in my outlook and I look forward to doing more to improve the standards of food I feed my Guys and myself, and better educating myself on good vs. the bad.

So if you are like me a working mother (not that there is really any other kind) with minimal time to spare, and a few pounds/kilos to shed yourself, start small and gradually you will make a huge impact on the health of your family.

That’s just what Teesh said…