Family Meal Time

Eating meals together is a great way to improve the health of children and parents while spending quality time together. Eating together as a family provides an opportunity to model healthy eating habits. When families eat together they are more likely to eat healthier. There are many benefits of eating together such as: improving communication, modelling manners and offering stability, introducing new foods, preventing disruptive behaviour, and improving academic performance.[1] Eating as a family also provides parents with benefits such as: an opportunity to teach values and traditions, eating healthier, and saving money by eating out less often.[2]

Family Meal Times can be a fun way to connect and establish a routine. Parents can involve their children in creating a weekly meal plan. Use this meal plan to create a shopping list for the week. This can be a fun learning opportunity for children of different ages as you can have them help create the list by brainstorming or practicing their writing skills. Involving the whole family during grocery shopping provides parents with the chance to show their children where their food comes from and allows them to be part of the healthy food choice process.

Sometimes preparing dinner can be more fun than eating it. Take some of the stress out of dinner preparation by giving everyone in the family a task. When children are involved in making dinner they are more likely to eat it. Depending on the age of the kids they can be involved in anything from washing vegetables, to stirring, to grating cheese. Having kids help cook and clean also teaches them valuable skills and responsibility. For super busy days meals can be prepared ahead of time so that your family can have a chance sit together and eat. Casseroles are a food that can be prepared ahead of time and then frozen for days when life gets crazy.

When you actually sit down for to eat it is important to create a pleasant atmosphere. Turn of TVs and avoid answering phones during dinner. Conversation is a key part of Family Meal Time, you can talk about your day, what you have planned for the weekend, or have everyone tell a joke.

Family Meal Time is a great way to establish a weekly routine and spend quality time together. It will improve the health and happiness of the whole family.

For fun family recipes check out these websites:

Family Fun Dinner Recipes

Growing Up Healthy

For conversation starter ideas:

Eating Together is Good for Families

Dinner Table Talk

The Family Dinner Project

---

[1] www.eatingtogether.ca

[2] Fraser Health Authority, http://www.fraserhealth.ca/your_health/school_health/community_resources/school_health_tips/meal_times_are_fun_for_the_whole_family_