Healthy living is an important part of any balanced lifestyle, and one key component of healthy living is a healthy diet. Sisters Grace and Audrey Lockett’s mother Colleen Lockett recognizes that a healthy diet is essential and makes sure to incorporate it into family life.

“I incorporate clean food into family life by planning ahead, researching ingredients and health effects, teaching [the reasons] behind food choices and timing,” Colleen said. “Being mindful of sugar and saturated fat content in food choices has been an important part of meal planning as well.”

Colleen hopes to expand knowledge in the Kansas City community about clean food and healthy living.

“Future goals are either a small cafe, food truck or event/catering business offering. Also, sharing healthy eating practices, meal prep and planning course offerings are of interest too,” Colleen said. “I connect through word of mouth, networking with small local businesses and social media with others interested in wellness.”

Balancing the family’s healthy eating choices with everything else going on in their lives can be difficult to manage, but Colleen has become used to it.

“Balancing this with being a mom has become routine, probably due in large part to living in Australia and adapting to their way of living.”

The Lockett family lived in Melbourne, Australia for two years, from 2013 to 2015. There, they adapted to a slower paced Australian lifestyle.

“For the first few months, we didn’t have a car, so every weekend we would bike down to our favorite cafes, get breakfast, flat whites, and a brownie, and bike home,” Audrey said. “Where we lived in Melbourne, you could bike almost anywhere and my sister and I walked to primary school and then to St. Finbar’s Catholic School when we got older.”

Life in Australia is much less reliant on cars than life in America. There is also much more focus on clean, local foods, rather than the fast food chains of America.

“It was such a culture shock going from Kansas to Melbourne, Australia,” Audrey said. “There were not many fast food places, but a main street with our favorite cafes and small family shops.”

Although the Lockett family has moved back to the U.S., they have continued to follow the Australian way of life they picked up in Melbourne.

“Living in Australia was different in so many amazing ways,” Audrey said. “​​My family and I [continue to] prioritize healthy eating by imitating how Australians focus on local food and restaurants and trying to find local small businesses to shop at.”