Striving for More Family Meals
TIME magazine online has a good article posted about why the family meal is back in vogue. Among the reporter's findings:
* "social scientists say [the family meal] acts as a kind of vaccine, protecting kids from all manner of harm"
* "the more often families eat together, the less likely kids are to smoke, drink, do drugs, get depressed, develop eating disorders, and consider suicide"
* "family dinner gets better with practice; the less often a family eats together, the worse the experience is likely to be, the less healthy the food, and the more meager the talk."
That's compelling stuff, and, of course, TIIME did not get some kind of exclusive on this story. These things we know.
So how, in this hurry-up, fast-food age, can we balance convenience and busy schedules with eating frequent family meals? I have a few ideas, and I'd like to hear yours, too. Here are mine:
1. Make restaurant mealtimes as family-like as possible. Sit around a table together, carry on a conversation, talk about the day or current events.
2. I recall a study in the late 90s that said a shared main dish creates more of a "family meal" experience, even when it's take-out food or a restaurant. So, a pizza or bucket of chicken in the middle of the table creates more of a family experience than, say, burgers or sandwiches that each person unwraps individually—if you believe this study.
3. As consumers, we need to take advantage of better offerings, like Panera's organic and all-natural kids' meals and the fruit cups and healthier beverage options that chains are making available.
Why? Restaurant companies know we vote with our wallets. If you agree it's nice to have these options, choosing them will encourage companies to make more of them available.
What are your ideas for making every meal as much of a family meal as possible? Use the Comments link below to contribute.
Comments
Great post! I strongly agree with the family dinner idea and think that whether it's at home or at a restaurant, it can be a positive experience for all. One idea I have been slowly putting into place is to get my toddler involved in meal prep (husband, too). It helps ger her excited about what we're eating, and seems to keep her at the table longer. It also really helps to actively include her in the conversation. I've noticed that when she's a part of the discussion she's less likely to want to leave the table early.
Posted by: Michele Little | July 12, 2006 06:10 AM