Keeping Family Mealtimes

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Children learn most of their eating habits from their families in the first five years of life.  What they learn at home will establish their patterns at school and later in life.  Family mealtimes also provide opportunities for:

• Nutrition - Families who eat together eat more balanced meals and a variety of foods
• Communication - Children who often hear adult conversation improve vocabulary, reading test scores and speaking skills.
• Family traditions - Many family memories are associated with foods.  Family heritage can be presented through recipes passed down through generations.
• Family bonds - Mealtime is a great opportunity for parents and kids to be together.  Adults are important role models for kids and can influence foods they taste and learn to eat.
• Life skills - Children learn sharing, taking turns, making healthy food choices and responsibility in setting the table, preparing food and cleaning up.

Time is typically the number one reason why families state they don't prepare and sit down for meals.  Try these tips for making preparing and serving healthy meals easier:

• Stock your pantry with frequently used foods.  Keep a piece of paper on the refrigerator and when you notice you're running out of a food write it on the grocery list.  Use the Fit City Challenge Grocery List for help.
• Plan and shop for other foods for meals and snack regularly.  Regularly means what works for you- every other day, once a week, twice a month, you decide.  Sometimes it's easier to plan just 2 days at a time than it is to decide on a week!
• Plan meals using your family's favorites, the Fit City for Fit Families menus, cookbooks or searching the internet.  Use the Fit City Challenge Menu Helper to record plans.  
• Don't stress about whether foods complement each other, just balance the meal with foods from at least 3 different food groups.  Don't worry about making it elaborate.  One mother once said, cold cereal with a banana can be a dinner.
• Keep emergency dinner foods available for those days when you don't feel like making what you thought you were going to make or you don't have as much time as you thought. 
• If time in the evening is too hectic to prepare and cook meals find a solution that works best for you.  Select one day of the week (or the night before) where all ingredients are washed and prepped so that the meal just has to be put together and cooked.  Have time in the morning?  Cook dinner then and reheat in the evening.  Want a hearty soup or stew?  Try crock-pot recipes.
• Make food in large batches and eat leftovers or freeze for later use.
• Get the whole family involved!  Divide responsibilities into prep cook, chef, waiter and clean-up crew.  Rotate responsibilities so everyone gets a turn.