With Summer winding down and families returning to their school schedules, it’s time to think about making an effort to eat more meals together as a family. There are numerous health benefits to eating meals at home. These include significant financial savings, improved nutritional intake and valuable bonding time among family members.
Cornell University researchers found that children who engaged in family meal times were 35% less likely to engage in disordered eating, 24% more likely to eat healthier foods and 12% less likely to be overweight.
While family meals may seem daunting, just a few small changes make a big difference: *Remove Distractions: Turn off the television and computers and avoid talking on the phone or texting. Focus your attention on each other.
*Talk to each other: about what made you laugh or what you did for fun today. Ask questions! *Pass on traditions: Tell the kids about the foods your parents and grandparents made that you loved to eat as a child. *Let go a little to gain a lot: it’s natural for parents to worry about their preschooler’s and children’s eating habits. Offer healthy foods and let your kids choose from them. This will make mealtimes more enjoyably for everyone. *Set a regular schedule for meal times: children need routines to practice new skills–like trying healthy foods.
EatTogether is an initiative of the Prevention Council of Roanoke County, Virginia Cooperative Extension and other community partners. Families are encouraged to take the EatTogether pledge and follow EatTogether on Facebook. Whether breakfast, lunch or dinner, take time to invest in family meals!
