Rainbow Blog

Families That Cook Together Eat Together

posted by: Kia

I wrote this post as a participant in the Eat Better, Eat Together Balancing Act blog carnival hosted by MealsMatter and Dairy Council of California to share ways families everywhere can make time for family meals that include foods from all the food groups. A list of other registered dietitians and moms who are participating in the Balancing Act blog carnival will be listed at the bottom of this post or can be found at MealsMatter.

Putting together healthy well balanced meals and eating as a family is a pretty big challenge for a lot of families these days with our full schedules and busy lives!  It can sometimes feel too hard or overwhelming especially when we strive for perfection.  I think perfection gets in the way of progress…I like to look at healthy eating as a series of baby steps and choices that eventually become habit.

Every family has a different dynamic and different priorities when it comes to striking a healthy food balance.  Some might focus on serving protein others might focus on dairy or getting whole grains into their family meals. In our house our biggest priority is to eat a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables!  A colorful diet is one of the best defenses against chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes so that is why it tops our list of healthy eating priorities.  By being aware of the colors we are eating it helps us be more mindful of our choices for meals and snacks.  For example snack time at our house always means a fruit or a vegetable…that is it!  Having a food rule like that makes it easier to get in our minimum 5 fruits and vegetables a day!  We also do our best to always have a colorful veggie with our lunch and dinners!

As far as getting a balanced meal together and enjoying it as a family we have a few things that we do around here:

1. PLAN: Our family gets together every Sunday and we plan our major meals for the week.  When meal planning we make an effort to include protein, produce and a grain in each meal. We all make suggestions and get to add our favorites then we make our shopping list based on our meal plan. We like to include our daughter in this weekly ritual because we feel it’s important that she learns that healthy eating is a choice and it takes some effort in order to make it easy to eat healthy during the busy week!

2. TEAM: As much as possible all three of us prepare dinners together.  Our daughter sets the table, fills our glasses with water, she is also in charge of washing produce and making salads.  She’s eight years old now and has been helping out since she was a toddler so it’s become a normal part of her day to help out in the kitchen.  By spreading the work load between the three of us making dinners isn’t that big of a task.  It’s also become a nice bit of family time where we’re all busy doing our jobs but also chatting about our day.  Passing on cooking skills is definitely something that lasts a lifetime and the sooner you get your kids into the kitchen the easier it becomes for them!

3. PREP: We like to make some meals a head of time and freeze them for the days when we know our schedule is more hectic and we won’t have time to actually cook!  This really helps us not have to resort to ordering take out or going out to a restaurant so it saves us money and we are in control of the ingredients in the food we eat which is important to us!

4. TALK: Since we are trying to raise our daughter to be mindful of her food choices we have had to learn what healthy eating looks like and how best to pass that on to her.  They say when you teach something it’s one of the best ways to learn and I’ve found that to be true!  Before my daughter came into our lives my husband and I were not healthy eaters at all!  So now we make sure we are always learning ways to improve our diet, finding new recipes etc…so that we can be good role models!  We are always talking about food and what makes something healthy or not.  When we are grocery shopping our daughter is usually quick to point out gimmicks that she says tries to trick people into thinking something is healthy when it actually isn’t! Ah such proud moments in parenting!

5. BALANCE: There are some days when all our best plans go to the wayside and we end up eating out or making something quick but I don’t beat myself up over it because I know that the majority of the time we eat great meals so I know our bodies can handle the occasional not so healthy meal!  The other thing to keep in mind is that life is all about about twists and turns and sometimes we just have to go with it and if that means that we have to grab a quick bite to eat on the way to piano lessons then that’s okay.  If life is getting too hectic with activities then it’s also okay to cut back a bit so that you can have the time to be together as a family and enjoy meals together! We all need to find our own comfort zone when it comes to balance! Just remember that healthy balanced eating does not have to mean perfection!!!  If you look at the food your family eats over the course of a week then it’s easier to see that one meal won’t make or break anything!  So be sure to give yourself a pat on the back if you are able to serve healthy meals most of the time!!

Preparing and eating meals together is something that brings families closer together.  If you make that a top priority for your family you will reap the rewards of that bonding time together.  One day when your children are all grown and living on their own you will have the memories of spending time together in the kitchen and around the table sharing a meal.  Hopefully our children will take those experiences and carry it on with their families!

Happy Healthy Eating,
Kia

Don’t stop here! Other bloggers share their stories and tips on how they juggle the balancing act of getting a well-balanced meal on the table!

10 Commandments for Guilt-Free Feeding – Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD
Beating the Lunch Box Blues – Katie Sullivan Morford, MS, RD
Dinner Time – Michelle Rowe, RN and Health Educator
Eat Better, Eat Together– Jessica Fishman Levinson, MS, RD, CDN
Family Dinners Fuel Healthier Kids – Susan Weiner, RD, MS, CDE, CDN
Families that Cook Together Eat Together – Kia Robertson
Making Time for Family Meals: How I’ve Earned My “RDH” – Trina Robertson, MS, RD
Meal Planning: Taking the Stress Out of the ‘What’s for Dinner’– Laura Everage
Pressed for Time? Moms Know Best: Tips for Getting Food on the Table – FAST! – Samantha Lewandowski, MS, RD, LDN
Roasted Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal – Cheri Liefeld
Sunday Night Family Dinner, In the Dining Room – Jill Castle, MS, RD, LDN
The Balancing Act – Ann Dunaway Teh, MS, RD, LD
The Power of Family Meal Time & How to Squeeze It In! – Bridget Swinney MS, RD, LD
The Truth About Family Dinner – Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD
Toughen up: Give Two Choices for Dinner – Take it or Leave it! – Glenda Gourley