Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Enjoying meals together helps anchor family members and build valuable memories. Use these tips during your family mealtime:
Make shared meals a priority
- Mark "family meal" dates on the calendar.
- Family meals can be shared at home, at a restaurant, in a park, or near a playing field.
Enjoy each other
- Turn off the television, radio, and cell phones.
- Encourage sharing comments about "good things that happened today."
- Children learn social skills from watching and listening to adults. Practice being positive.
Dish up variety
- Use MyPyramid and family preferences as a guide when planning meals.
- Save elaborate menus for occasions when you have time to prepare and enjoy them.
Share responsibility
- Give each person a task for each meal, such as choosing the menu, setting the table, pouring drinks, or cleaning up.
- Giving children some responsibility for preparing part of the meal increases their feelings of being part of the family.
Bottom line...Eating together has benefits even when it isn’t possible daily. For more ideas, download (pdf) or order a copy of Steps to a Healthier Family.
Check out the National Cattleman's Beef Association family-mealtimes.org Web site for additional ideas and resources for enjoying fun meals as a family.
For more information, order the "Raising Healthy Kids" series
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