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Family welfare
Your organiser may be crammed full of meetings and events but there's one appointment you need to keep, and it will make you healthy too: the family meal. A study published in the Archives of Family Medicine found that having a family supper was not only associated with a more healthy way of eating, but that it can also have a positive effect on your family's emotional and physical health as well.
The study looked at the relationship between family dinners and the quality of diet among thousands of children in America. Although more than a half of the nine-year-olds surveyed said they had a family dinner every day, this practice seemed to decline as children got older. Only a third of children aged 14 reported having dinner regularly with their families.
So how does having a family meal improve your children's mental and physical well-being? In dietary terms, the study reported that those who regularly ate dinner with their families were more likely to have eaten at least five portions of fruits and vegetables. They also had fewer fried foods and soft drinks during dinner than those children who had infrequent family meals. In addition, the children who ate with their families had a substantially higher intake of nutrients such as fibre, calcium, folate (a B-vitamin), iron, vitamins B6, B12, C, and E and a lower intake of saturated fat. This is particularly interesting because children in the UK seem to be deficient in many of these nutrients. The reason for this may be that in the absence of parental influence, children are more likely to choose foods that are higher in fat and sugar.
Another benefit of eating together is that it creates an environment that fosters family conversation and discussion. One study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed that family meals stimulated discussion and promoted nutritional knowledge and healthy eating. In another recent study, scientists at the University of Nebraska found that time spent together on a regular basis, including eating together, helped increase emotional ties between family members.
These days, busy work and social schedules often dictate when and where we eat, so it's easy to let the tradition of the sit-down supper slip. Here's how to prevent the daily grind from taking its toll on family dining:
- Make time for the family to eat together at least two or three times a week. The meal does not need to be elaborate - it's the idea of eating together that you want to focus on.
- Build your meals around starchy carbohydrate foods and don't forget to boost your family's fruit and veg intake by serving two portions of veg. Finish off with a piece of fruit or a fruit pudding.
- Encourage conversation by turning off distractions such as the telly or the radio.
- Get the kids to join in. Most children love preparing food, and it is a good way for them to learn about healthy eating habits and proper nutrition.
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