make memories with family mealtimes

story by | tera miller, MBA, LRD

Whetherwe’re getting home from a long day at the office or finishing up our house hold chores, there’s always that cloud looming over our heads around five o’clock. What to do for dinner? Everyone seems so busy and it often seems impossible to sit down as a family. It appears much easier to drive through, pick something up, and let everyone grab their food and continue what they’re doing. Family mealtimes are important in so many ways and shouldn’t be extinct. We need to preserve the time we have with our children and make them a priority.

Obesity in America is rising and our children are inheriting the adverse affects. Today’s generation of children is the first generation in hundreds of years to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. We need to stop this trend to get America back on the health track and family meals are just what the doctor ordered.

Study after study has shown us the benefits of family meals. Families eating together generally eat healthier and children develop better eating habits. With America’s expanding waistline, instilling healthy eating habits in our youth is crucial to the future health of our society.

Family meals are the perfect opportunity to teach our children about healthy food options. The healthy habits we teach our children can then be passed on to the next generation for a healthier America.

Make your meals more nutritious by switching to whole grains when serving breads, pastas, or rice. Introduce a new fruit or vegetable each week. Choose low fat dairy products and lean meats. Not only are lean meats healthier, they tend to be easier on the wallet as well. Select cereals that have less than ten grams of sugar and limit the number of sugary beverages.

Get your children involved. Let them pick out the vegetable at the grocery store or the type of noodle for the pasta dish. Kids are more likely to try something they had a hand in making, literally! Depending on their age, let them mix, beat or toss the meal. Have them set the table or lead the prayer. Keeping them involved shows that they are an important part of the family.

Not only are family meals vital to our health, they offer teachable moments and can make memories that will last a lifetime. Sitting down as a family every day keeps the lines of communication open. It allows parents to stay in tune with their children so they can be more aware of any issues affecting their children. Better grades, closer relationships with parents and siblings and lower risk of depression and substance abuse are all outcomes of sharing a family meal.

Okay, so now we know why family meals are so important, but the question is, “How do we find the time to make them happen?” With some creativity, it can actually be just as easily done as said. Family meals shouldn’t be reserved for the evening meal, make them fit into your families’ schedule. Here are some tips to help you start reconnecting with your family:

• Set alarms twenty minutes earlier and start the day off together with a healthy breakfast of whole grain cereal, yogurt and fruit.

• Pack a picnic for the ballpark, gym or other activity that may inhibit a sit down meal at home. Sandwiches made with low fat meats and whole grain breads served with fruit and a treat make an excellent meal for eating together in the bleachers.

• Impossible to get together during the day? Sit down and enjoy an evening treat to discuss each other’s busy day.

Sit down meals don’t have to be extravagant or take the entire day to prepare to make an impact. Try these ideas to make it more feasible to get a healthy homemade meal on the table:

• One night a week serve a salad with whole grain bread and low fat dressing. It takes less than twenty minutes to chop lettuce, meat, eggs and veggies and toss them in a salad bowl.

• Make the slow cooker your best friend. Meals can be prepped the night before and placed in the slow cooker in the morning. As your family arrives home they will be greeted by the smell of a warm home-cooked meal ready to be served.

• Use Sundays to make “extra” meals that can be frozen for a later date. Use these on days when there is no time to make a meal. Simply thaw in the refrigerator the night before and throw in the oven or on the stove top for a quick, healthy, homemade meal.

The time families spend eating together is precious. Family meals are times to connect with family members so set some ground rules. Here are a few examples:

• Turn off the television. Watching television while eating is not only distracting, but causes many people to overeat.

• Put cell phones away and resist answering the phone until mealtime is over.

• Ask that everyone updates the family about what’s going on in their lives and always remember to keep the conversation age appropriate.

Our children have enough challenges the way it is, give them the edge they need to succeed by making mealtimes a priority. Remember to be creative and keep it simple. Try the simple slow cooker recipe on the next page when schedules are tight and you want something other than the ordinary chicken dish.

[Serves 10] ingredients:

2 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 [16-oz] jar salsa

1 medium onion

2 Tbsp curry powder

1 C fat free sour cream

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

Add chicken to the slow cooker. Mix salsa, onion and curry powder together and pour over chicken. Place the lid on and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours [high 4 to 5 hours]. Remove chicken and place in serving dish. Mix sour cream with salsa mixture and pour over chicken. Serve with brown rice. Each serving without rice has 180 calories, 9 g carbohydrate, 30 g protein, 2 g fat, 1 g fiber and 270 mg sodium.

Moms