Including your children in the meal preparation process increases their awareness and appetite for healthy eating. When we as parents communicate interest and enthusiasm for making healthy meals, we are more likely to instill the same attitudes in our kids. The next time you are unsure about the importance of family meals, consider how shopping, cooking, and eating together will reinforce your family’s healthy habits by:
- Empowering your kids: Teaching your kids how to cook is something that will help them to make their own healthy choices as they grow up. Cooking will allow your kids to develop their food preferences and understanding of nutrition to apply into their own healthy lifestyles.
- Improving Communication. Shared meals create an additional avenue of communication for families. It can be a place to discuss the day’s events, enjoy each other’s company, and provide a time for family discussions. Asking open-ended questions such as “How was your day?” rather than “Did you have a good day?” will help stimulate more conversation topics and provide better understanding between family members.
- Forming Mindful Eating Habits. Rather than eating in front of a television or computer screen, family meals will create mindful eating habits where kids can learn to listen to their bodies. When we eat slowly and without distractions, we are more aware of our hunger levels and are less likely to overeat.
- Developing Routines and Expectations. A planned daily, weekly, or even monthly meal plan can improve a family’s functionality and routine. When parents set aside special times for meals with their family, this further this lets kids know that this is an important and special time in the household. It’s important for parents to keep to the scheduled times planned for family meals so that their children know they can count on their parents to remain reliable.
- Improving Physical Health. In general, meals are often healthier when they are prepared at home before hand. It’s hard to know what fast food restaurants and other places put into the foods that they serve. When meals are fixed at home, it is often less processed and healthier.