Missing this one Family Event can be Detrimental to Your Health!

What if you could know there was a way to ensure that your children would be healthier, excel in school and avoid drugs and premarital sex, would you want to find out what it was?  What if it was as simple as eating meals together?  Would you do it? In the Journal of Adolescent Health they did interviews with over 18,000 adolescents and  found that the kids who ate together as a family were much more likely to eat healthy than those who didn't.  Other studies found that teens who stayed away from drugs, alcohol, smoking, and premarital sex were the ones who ate five or more meals a week together with their family. Research from the University of Michigan found that eating together as a family was the key predictor of a child’s academic scores and problematic behavior; the more meals eaten together, the better the grades and the behavior. All that for just 30 or more minutes a day sitting together around a table!

What is the magic taking place when you eat together as a family? Recognize that you are setting a good example (I hope!) of proper eating habits and manners.  You will model things like portion control, menu choices, listening skills and positive conversation.  In this day and age, often it is not just children who need to learn how to cook, many parents as well.  So many of us grew up in the fast food, eat on the run generation where eating out was the norm.  Rarely did either parent take time to plan, shop, read labels, cook or cleanup. We now recognize that these important life skills have many hidden benefits.  It’s never too late; in fact it is excellent to learn together!! 

What makes for a healthy meal? First of all is the atmosphere.  This is the time to turn off the TV, the computer, the cell phone, etc. and actually look at each other instead of a screen.  Pleasant calm music and an attractive table setting can make it feel like the special time that it is.  This is not the time to be critical or disciplinary but rather curious and enthusiastic about what happened in everyone’s day. What was the thing you liked most about today, what was the most challenging, are good open ended questions to elicit conversation.  Sharing about current events along with different perspectives and opinions is a fun  and educational activity.

Secondly, we want nutritious and delicious food to be served. Thanks to search engines like Google, you can find all kinds of fast and easy healthy recipes.  This is where you can put the kids to work.  Let them search and help you plan menus.  Incorporate fish, lean meats, vegetarian and even vegan meals into your diet.  Protein is just one part of the meal, next comes salad, the key to a healthy dinner.  Mix together plenty of different color greens and vegetables along with some healthy fats like avocado, olives, or nuts.  Steamed or roasted vegetables are also needed to make the meal complete.  If some don’t like a certain vegetable, maybe try cooking it in a new way.  Lastly, if you have growing kids, they will need a complex carbohydrate such as brown rice, quinoa, lentils, or whole grain breads, muffins, or pasta. 

Begin incorporating daily family time at the table and you will be amazed at the positive transformations materializing right before your eyes.  These healthy living strategies will not only help your children succeed, but will provide the whole family with profound memories that will be cherished and passed on from generation to generation.