There’s no better time than today to make a fresh start when it comes to reforming your family’s food habits. For many families, eating healthier is a key priority – but limited time, tight budgets, and picky eaters can make it difficult. Therefore, it is important that every member of the family is aligned with the goals, and you work together towards achieving them. Mindful eating is as much an individual goal as it is a collective one, says Jan Chozen Bays, an American Zen teacher and author of the bestseller Mindful Eating. 

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Mindful eating implies watching what you eat, how much, and when you eat. But we aren’t talking about fad diets here – this must be a sustainable lifestyle modification for the family. There’s no need to starve or kill the junk food cravings altogether. 

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If you live in the UAE, you will be spoilt for choice when picking healthier food options. You can turn to the homegrown brand Barakat for the widest variety of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, preservative-free juices, dairy, meats, and bakery products. 

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We have a handful of tips to help make eating right easier for you and your family!

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• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, especially dark green, red, and orange vegetables 

• Eat whole-grain, high-fiber bread, and cereals. Reduce or eliminate refined or processed carbohydrates.

• Drink plenty of water, juices, and fat-free or low-fat milk.

• Choose from a variety of low-fat sources of protein - eggs, beans, poultry, fish.

• Use vegetable oils (like olive or canola oil) instead of saturated and trans- fats.

• Reduce daily intake of salt or sodium to less than 1,500 mg. per day.

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Once you’ve sorted out what is the right kind of food for your family, you need to focus on developing healthy eating habits. There are several ways to get your family members engaged in your healthy-eating effort. 

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•  Involve them in the meal prep - Pulling in family members into your meal prep is not just educational, it can also be a whole lot of fun. Remember, all the cutting, chopping, grinding, and stirring minutes can translate to precious bonding time. Take turns creating innovative menus or even cooking up simple but healthy meals.  

• Let them shop for ingredients – This will especially be helpful if you have teenagers. Use an app like Xare to give them an allowance and they can independently shop for ingredients. Soon, your teens will learn to pick healthier alternatives – like opting for feta instead of cheddar or parmesan for their pizza.      

• Let snacks be friends with benefits – Let’s be honest, snacks are the ultimate comfort food.  But whoever said chips, candy or gummies are the only snacks that can cheer you up or give an energy boost? It’s time to think of nuts, seeds, or fruit as the staple pick-me-ups. When you give your kids a snack allowance on Xare, you allow them to make a healthy choice on their own and give an early lesson in money management.

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Wellness is not the absence of disease - it’s about finding the perfect balance of physical, mental, and social well-being. That’s the goal that you can achieve as a family. By making simple alterations in your food habits, you can set yourself and your family up for a healthier tomorrow.

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To shop for Barakat products on Xare, download the app now. 

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