Staging A Comeback for Family Meals

When your weekday nights are jam-packed with meetings, homework, tantrums, and carpools (yes, taxi cab driver is my very unglamorous night job)...something's gotta give.  And more often than not, that something is a home-cooked meal shared around the kitchen table. Unfortunately, I think we all underestimate the sacrifice we make to our family life and kids' wellbeing when we move dinnertime to the bottom of the totem pole.

Research shows that children who enjoy more dinners with their family tend to have healthier diets.  They take in more of the good stuff (fruits, vegetables, calcium) and less of the bad stuff (saturated and trans fats, soda, and junk food)...and that's terrific in its own right. But the most important benefits aren't nutritional. Kids who dine with their parents more regularly perform better in school, have fewer behavioral problems, are less likely to be overweight or develop an eating disorder, and are at lower risk for risky behaviors like drinking, smoking, and using marijuana. 

Suffice it to say, the benefits of family meals are too powerful to ignore, and we need to work hard at making mealtime a priority.

If shared meals are a rarity in your household, it will definitely take some logistical acrobatics to bring everyone together at the table at the same time. My advice is to take it slow--even just a few more gatherings per week can have a huge impact on your family dynamic--and incorporate the tips below to make the transition easier.

1. Keep it simple.
The benefits of eating dinner together derive mostly from the social interaction and connectedness that family mealtime fosters, so don't feel like you have to concoct elaborate, four-course meals to reap the rewards. Learn a standard deck of five to ten quick, healthy, home-cooked meals that you can whip together in 30 minutes or less. Some of my old standbys include turkey cheeseburgers with tossed salad; chicken cutlets topped with marinara sauce and reduced-fat mozzarella cheese; whole grain pasta with turkey meat sauce; beef-pepper stir-fry; bean tacos; and healthy shrimp scampi. Now that summer has arrived, take advantage of the grill to put together quick-cooking entrees like lean poultry sausages, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, fish fillets, shrimp kebabs, pork tenderloin, or lean steaks. Toss on some sliced veggies or ears of corn and you have the side dish covered, too.

2. Prep ahead.
According to a 2009 poll conducted for Barilla Company by Strategy One, parents cite lack of time and scheduling conflicts as the number one barrier to preparing family dinners. Getting a jumpstart on food prep the night before will save you significant time the next day and make squeezing dinnertime into your already overscheduled evening routine much more feasible. Marinate meats and chop vegetables ahead of time, or prepare a "one-dish" meal that you can just warm up the next day, like chili, stew, or a healthy, produce-heavy casserole.

3. Get the kids involved.
If your kids help with the prep in addition to joining you for the meal, you get to spend twice as much time together chatting and catching up on the day's events. And if your kids are older, having the extra hands on deck to babysit a pot or measure ingredients can be a huge time-saver. Even youngsters can lend a helping hand by collecting ingredients from the cupboards, washing produce, and mixing and stirring food. Plus, following recipe directions serves as an informal learning experience, and allowing children to take ownership of the meal builds self-esteem and confidence.

4. Get creative.
If you have the extra time and energy, inject some spirit and fun into mealtime. Ask your kids to search online for fun, new recipes to try. Or, host a theme night. Serve dishes from a particular region of the world and download some jazzy music that suits the meal. I'm also a big fan of family cook-offs. Just a few weeks ago, on a lazy Saturday morning, my son Cole and I faced off in a smoothie competition. Cole took home first prize with his delicious banana-berry concoction, and the rest of the family got to vote for the winner and afterwards fill up on a nutrient-rich, satisfying breakfast.

5. Be flexible.
I recommend sitting down to at least five meals together each week, which can seem a bit overambitious given the modern, hectic lifestyle we all seem to have adopted, willingly or unwillingly. But if meetings, lacrosse practices, and dance classes always seem to interfere with your good intentions on weekday evenings, don't feel guilty or discouraged. If you rework your schedule a bit, I'm sure you can find other times during the week to share a meal-whether its weekday breakfasts, Sunday brunch, or weekend dinners.

For more tips on healthy eating, follow Joy Bauer on Facebook and Twitter.

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