September is a special month for AgriLife Extension as we “Celebrate Family Mealtime”. We know everyone is busy with work and after school activities, plus technology always having us “plugged in”, often times we miss face-to-face connections with our family. Family meals provide a great opportunity for family members to connect because everyone has to eat! Throughout the month of September we are encouraging everyone to have meals as a family and here at Dinner Tonight, we will be highlighting special recipes and tips to do just that! Research shows that sitting down three times per week as a family has many benefits* among these are:
- Reduction for the odds of overweight & potentially obesity
- Reduction in eating unhealthy foods
- Reduction in odds for a child to experience an eating disorder
- Increase in eating eating healthy foods
To get started, commit to having your family sit down at least three times a week to eat together, and use this as a time to
- share family stories,
- learn about everyone’s day,
- set family goals,
- and make plans for future activities.
Remember, meals do not have to be fancy or gourmet to make mealtime special, the focus is on getting everyone together.
We hope you take the challenge to sit down at least 3x per week during the Month of September to engage in family mealtime! Share your photos with us on Facebook & Instagram by tagging us or using the #familymealtime. Check back with us throughout September to learn more on the benefits to family mealtime as well as tips and recipes to make it easy.
See our Kid Friendly Recipes here!
If you’ve got a picky eater on your hands, check out our tips and tricks to help navigate that tricky situation!
* Pediatrics Journal – Official Journal of the American Association of Pediatrics
