Family mealtime fosters better nutrition

Family meals have the potential to establish healthy nutritional behaviours and improve overall diet quality. Children who regularly enjoy family meals perform better in school, tend to be happier, and have a decreased risk of substance abuse.

Here are some simple strategies to help make it happen:

- Menu planning helps reduce the stress associated with getting dinner on the table and saves you time and money.

- It is important to involve everyone in meal planning and preparation, so that no one feels overburdened.

- Whether you make extra meals on weekends and freeze them for later or prepare a crock pot meal in the morning before heading off for work, preparing in advance makes it easier to find the time to sit down together in the evening.

- For those nights when you didn't plan ahead and you have no idea what to fix for supper, it's a good idea to have ingredients and recipes on hand that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

The facts are on the table, taking the time to sit down as a family and enjoy a healthy meal together will help children form positive attitudes about food and create fond memories that will last a lifetime. The bottom line is to do what works for you. Whether you slow things down or plan ahead to make family meal time fit into your schedule, the benefits of eating together will last long after the meal ends.