Staying Healthy When You Go Home

Recently I went home to visit my mom, and she made me my childhood favorite for so many meals. . which were definitely on the delicious and mouth-watering but not so healthy side! I wanted to indulge, but I still wanted to feel good about I felt and looked in my body. So I was in a dilemma.

I’ve been testing out a few strategies to have my favorites while still maintaining my waistline and I think I’ve finally cracked it.

Here’s a picture of a childhood breakfast favorite that my mom made for me. It’s fried bread (poori) and curried potatoes. I still enjoyed these when I went home, but I didn’t stuff myself, I stopped after 2.

On other days, I stayed as healthy as I could. I felt great on my trip and maintained my weight.

Have you ever gone home where you grew up, and your Mom and/or Dad wants to feed you with the goodies you grew up with? Maybe it’s pasta, heavy rice dishes, fried foods, or rich desserts.

Your parent(s) made it out of love for you, and you actually want some, you don’t want to be rude by saying no, but you DO want to be healthy and not gain 5 pounds while you’re visiting!

Here are 3 tips to be healthy when going home:  

1. Take advantage of meals where you are not sitting around as a family and eating. This may be breakfast and sometimes lunch. Eat a healthy meal during those times because you have more control and no one will tell you to take more or ask you why you’re not eating the foods they are eating.  

2. If your mom/dad asks you what you want to eat, offer an option that’s healthier. For example, for breakfast I would ask my mom to make me a big veggie omelet and we would cut fruit or veggies. 

3. When your mom or dad makes a childhood favorite, don’t feel guilty about indulging. Do have that food, and enjoy it – your parent(s) cooked it with love! You can control the serving size though – have just what you need and don’t over do it. That way you have the best of both worlds.