2008 Year in Review

Eating Meals Together as a Family

It can certainly be a challenge in today’s fast-paced world to eat together as a family. Research has made it clear that eating together as a family has many benefits. Consider the following:

- Meals cooked at home generally are more nutritious than those bought ready-made or when eating out. Families who eat together have been found to eat more nutritiously, and children learn to make healthier food choices.

- Mealtime provides a great time for families to listen to one another, talk about their day and reconnect with each other. A feeling of support and connection to one another is made available.

- Mealtime is a great occasion to create family traditions. Eating provides an optimal time to engage all of the senses and build unforgettable memories.

- Mealtime provides an opportunity to teach our children important life skills like learning the five food groups, passing down recipes, setting a table and cleaning up afterwards.

- Eating together regularly helps children feel more positive about themselves and their family. Teens have been found to do better in school, have stronger relationships with peers and are less likely to smoke, use drugs or alcohol or become depressed.

Consider these ideas to strengthen family mealtime:

- Make and keep family meals a priority for your family. Establish family meal times, whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner—at least five times a week.

- Keep it a positive time where you enjoy each other. Avoid dealing with family conflicts or issues that will turn into complaining and fault-finding.

- Ban distractions like TV and phone calls. Consider putting on music that still allows easy communication and listening to one another.

- Look for ways to involve everyone—from planning the menus and shopping for ingredients to preparing the meal and cleaning the kitchen.

The earlier you start making family mealtime a priority, the earlier your family will reap the benefits and know that this is a habit they will not want to break.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
January 18, 2008