Can you get your family together at mealtime at least a few times a week? Research shows that family meals promote healthier eating— more fruits, vegetables, and fiber; less fried food; often fewer calories. And they do far more than put healthful food on the table.
In our haste to get meals prepared, we may forget that mealtime gives time to talk, listen, and build family relationships. And it’s a chance for parents to be good role models for healthful eating.
Thanksgiving week and National Family Week—a great time to enjoy at least one meal together as a family! Try to make it routine.
- Set a regular family mealtime. Pick a time together.
- Enjoy more table time, less cooking time. Make quick, simple meals (even a sandwich, fruit, and milk) to give more table time together.
- Turn off the TV. Turn on the phone answering machine. Focus mealtime on family talk.
- Keep table talk positive. Everyone gets to talk and to listen. Sitting around a table, not side-by-side at the counter, helps.
- Keep table time realistic—not so long that the pleasure goes away.
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