While you spend more time at home, you may be finding it more challenging to eat a healthy, balanced diet. It can be easy to fall into the habit of eating because you are bored, rather than hungry. However, a good diet is important for you and your children’s wellbeing, so we have some tips to eat well during lockdown.

There’s one word you might have heard a lot during lockdown, and that word is: routine. It’s a buzzword you’re probably tired of hearing but keeping to a good routine will help you to eat better. Make sure that you are having three proper meals a day rather than picking at food throughout the day. It’s also important that you’re drinking plenty of water in between meals, as we often confuse thirst for hunger.

If you can, try and cook with your children. Not only will this be an activity to distract you all from snacking, but it’s a great way to teach children important life skills and healthy eating habits. This is also a great time to let your children try a range of new foods and help them to develop their palette. Children who help to cook food are more likely to eat it, so if you’re going to introduce a new food it’s a great time to get them to help in the kitchen.

You may not have a lot of time to meal prep, however if you can, plan your shop to include more healthy meals that can help you to eat better. If you write a list and tell yourself to stick to it, this can help prevent you from picking up unhealthy snacks as you walk through the aisles. If you know what you plan to eat in advance, you’ll also prevent food wastage.

Keeping active and stimulated is very important during lockdown. Often, we reach for snacks when we’re bored. If you manage that boredom through exercise or fun activities, you will be less likely to snack and more likely to eat only when you’re actually hungry.

Above all, it’s important to remember that eating well does not mean cutting out all treats. It’s fine to eat treats as part of a balanced diet. Don’t feel bad for not eating as well as you may have been on a normal day. While you should aim to eat well, don’t let it cause you unnecessary stress – just do the best you can!