Despite all the directions families are pulled today, parents are still the biggest influence on the food and meal habits of their children. Regular family meals offer not only nutritious and healthy food choices for family members, but also offers the benefit of quality time spent together.
Family meals have become an accepted indicator of the quality of family relationships. Research has shown that family meals provide a great amount of good, in a variety of ways, for the entire family.
Very young children who share family meals show improved literacy skills when compared with children who did not have family meal opportunities.
Children and adolescents who share meals with their parents have improved food habits. They tend to eat more fruits, vegetables and dairy foods, and less fried food and soft drinks when meals are eaten with their families.
Efforts to encourage and include adolescents in family meals and food preparation not only affect the teen as an individual, but also their performance and relationships in the community and beyond.
Older adults who share meals with family and friends benefit not only by eating better, but also from the increased socialization and contact with others. Intergenerational family meals help to preserve and pass along family culture, traditions and values.
It is important to note that family meals can include eating with anyone you love, care for, live with or who cares about you. It is the feeling of sharing and support that comes from being together that makes family meals so valuable.
If family meals are not common for your family, it might seem difficult to know how to get started. Old habits can take a while to change, and family meals can be easier to accomplish if started when children are young. But even if children are older, the benefits of family meals are well worth the effort.
These mealtimes aren't necessarily limited to the evening meal. Maybe family breakfasts suit your family's schedule better. Possibly setting the alarm a little earlier to allow family members to be together before they head out the door in the morning would be beneficial for your family. Find out what works best for your family.
Maybe you can designate one or two nights a week that are reserved for family night, when everyone adults and children alike, know to plan for mealtime together.
Meals don't need to be home-cooked masterpieces in order to serve the purpose. Instead, focus on familiar foods that fit the time, skills and flavor of your family.
Share the effort of preparing and getting the meal on the table. Even young children can help with some of the preparations, such as washing the vegetables, or setting the silverware on the table. You may want to set up a schedule of mealtime duties. Set up an age-appropriate rotation schedule so everyone has their turn at both preparation and clean-up duties.
Mealtime duties can help children not only learn cooking skills, but can help them learn sharing and responsibility.
During mealtime, turn off the television and hold phone calls. Make sharing the meal the priority. Try to make this time together pleasant. Keep the conversation on a positive note.
Avoid making too many rules for mealtime. Try to model the actions and behavior you would like to see the children use.
There is no one single environment when it comes to family meals -every schedule, every mealtime is unique to each family. It is apparent that family meals tell us a lot about how families become and stay connected.
The holiday season is upon us. Families members may have many opportunities to be together over holiday meals during this season of the year.
The holidays offer us a time to be together with many family members you may not often see throughout the year. Use these times to enjoy the intergenerational connections with family members of all ages. Share family cultures and traditions throughout your holiday meals and value the time you spend together.
To learn more about family nutrition, visit the K-State Research & Extension Web site at: www.ksre.ksu.edu. Or call our Crawford County Extension office at 620-724-8233 and ask for the extension publication, "Everyone to the Table: Family Meals Serve Us Well".
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Despite all the directions families are pulled today, parents are still the biggest influence on the food and meal habits of their children. Regular family meals offer not only nutritious and healthy food choices for family members, but also offers the benefit of quality time spent together.
Family meals have become an accepted indicator of the quality of family relationships. Research has shown that family meals provide a great amount of good, in a variety of ways, for the entire family.
Very young children who share family meals show improved literacy skills when compared with children who did not have family meal opportunities.
Children and adolescents who share meals with their parents have improved food habits. They tend to eat more fruits, vegetables and dairy foods, and less fried food and soft drinks when meals are eaten with their families.
Efforts to encourage and include adolescents in family meals and food preparation not only affect the teen as an individual, but also their performance and relationships in the community and beyond.
Older adults who share meals with family and friends benefit not only by eating better, but also from the increased socialization and contact with others. Intergenerational family meals help to preserve and pass along family culture, traditions and values.
It is important to note that family meals can include eating with anyone you love, care for, live with or who cares about you. It is the feeling of sharing and support that comes from being together that makes family meals so valuable.
If family meals are not common for your family, it might seem difficult to know how to get started. Old habits can take a while to change, and family meals can be easier to accomplish if started when children are young. But even if children are older, the benefits of family meals are well worth the effort.
These mealtimes aren't necessarily limited to the evening meal. Maybe family breakfasts suit your family's schedule better. Possibly setting the alarm a little earlier to allow family members to be together before they head out the door in the morning would be beneficial for your family. Find out what works best for your family.
Maybe you can designate one or two nights a week that are reserved for family night, when everyone adults and children alike, know to plan for mealtime together.
Meals don't need to be home-cooked masterpieces in order to serve the purpose. Instead, focus on familiar foods that fit the time, skills and flavor of your family.
Share the effort of preparing and getting the meal on the table. Even young children can help with some of the preparations, such as washing the vegetables, or setting the silverware on the table. You may want to set up a schedule of mealtime duties. Set up an age-appropriate rotation schedule so everyone has their turn at both preparation and clean-up duties.
Mealtime duties can help children not only learn cooking skills, but can help them learn sharing and responsibility.
During mealtime, turn off the television and hold phone calls. Make sharing the meal the priority. Try to make this time together pleasant. Keep the conversation on a positive note.
Avoid making too many rules for mealtime. Try to model the actions and behavior you would like to see the children use.
There is no one single environment when it comes to family meals -every schedule, every mealtime is unique to each family. It is apparent that family meals tell us a lot about how families become and stay connected.
The holiday season is upon us. Families members may have many opportunities to be together over holiday meals during this season of the year.
The holidays offer us a time to be together with many family members you may not often see throughout the year. Use these times to enjoy the intergenerational connections with family members of all ages. Share family cultures and traditions throughout your holiday meals and value the time you spend together.
To learn more about family nutrition, visit the K-State Research & Extension Web site at: www.ksre.ksu.edu. Or call our Crawford County Extension office at 620-724-8233 and ask for the extension publication, "Everyone to the Table: Family Meals Serve Us Well".
