Be a Family - Sit and Eat Together to Stay Healthy

In my family, at dinner time, we all sit and eat together. For us it is a normal routine and we all are living a healthy life. Then one day my friend visited us. At dinner time we all sat together and enjoyed our meals. My friend was telling me about their hectic lives, work schedules, after-school activities, errands and the likes etc. She was complaining about her kids who are not eating properly. So I tried to explain her how with few simple ideas and with some planning, meal time can be an enjoyable and treasured family time.

In a recent Columbia University study, 84% of teenagers said they preferred to have dinner with their families..

I said to her, “according to recent studies, not only do children like to sit down at the dinner table and eat a meal with their parents, but they are more likely to eat a well-balanced, nutritious meal as well”.  

I don’t know about you but we sit together each night and eat. At the beginning, I suggest, designate no less than one night per week to have a sit-down meal with your family. Most probably, Sunday nights are usually a good choice for this because you have more time to relax and the weekend chores have been completed.

It is a good idea to involve your kids in the planning and preparation of the meal (well depends on their age). This gives them a strong sense of self and the foundation for a lifetime of healthy meal planning and preparation.

Once you sit together try to do the following;

• Make sure they wash their hands.
• Sit together and pray before your meal.
• I have observed one common mistake in my other friend’s homes that they watch TV during meal. This diverts their attention from their kids. So make sure the television is off.
• Make it a rule that all phone calls go to voice mail or the answering machine during the meal.
• Take your time eating and teach your children how to do the same in the process.
• Eating slowly is a healthy habit.  Don't jump up and start clearing dishes and putting things away until everyone is done eating and talking.
• Eat less than your will. Simple rule (make three portions of your stomach. One for air, one for water and one for meal to live a healthy life)

Yes, I understand you cannot do this every day even you should. So what you can do on the other days when you can't sit down as a family? Well, try to make a habit of sitting down and chatting with them while they are eating, instead of rushing around catching up on the chores.  

This shows them you're interested and that you care and want to be and involved and important part of their everyday life. That is why I always says “be a family – sit and eat together to stay healthy”. 

I shared some of the ideas, do you have something to share. Please let us know so we can improve ourselves.