Holidays are great at bringing everyone together. But eating meals as a family shouldn’t just be for special occasions!
Family mealtime has multiple benefits. Experts say that it fosters family unity, can hep reduce behavior problems at home and school and academic success. The improved nutrition at home also promotes healthy weight for kids.
Just adding one or two extra family meals to the schedule weekly can have long-lasting benefits. Removing distractions like electronics ensures that the attention is on each other.
Be sure to get older kids involved in preparation. Making a menu at the start of the week allows each family member to have input on what meals will include.
Taking the kids shopping can have its benefits, too. This is an opportunity to educate about food groups, categorizing them into grains, fruit, vegetables, dairy and protein foods. As they age, kids can help calculate cost per serving, budgeting, etc.
It may seem hard at first, but with time, it will get easier, and within a month or two, you may be eating nearly every meal at home.
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