Reconnect With Your Family At Dinnertime!

Sharing a family meal is a time-honored tradition. But in recent years, families have undergone many changes and quality time is often stretched thin by balancing hectic work and activity schedules. As you’re coordinating your family calendar, remember that research shows when families eat together, the quality of everyone’s health and diet improves.

Tips for Making Mealtime Family Time

• Every Sunday, pick several nights during the coming week when the family can eat together. Try your best to stick to the schedule.
  
• Encourage children to create menu ideas and help prepare the meal.
• Keep meals simple. Focus your effort on one dish, then use frozen, canned or other convenient foods for the rest.
• Turn off the TV and radio so everyone can focus on conversation without distraction.
• Remember that kids often take more time to eat than adults. Take your time through dinner and enjoy the extra few minutes sitting at the table before cleaning up.

What’s the benefit?
Research shows that children who eat regularly with their families:

• eat more fruits and vegetables and less fried foods, soda, and saturated fat.
• have a higher intake of calcium, iron, fiber and vitamins.
• are less likely to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs.
• are more likely to be better students.