Eat Better, Eat Together is a blog series by registered dietitians and parents whose stories and advice help families start or strengthen a commitment to balanced family meals and create healthy, successful families. Take the Eat Better, Eat Together Family Meal Pledge at Facebook.com/MealsMatter.org

Last week, 15 bloggers from the US, Canada and New Zealand shared their tips, tricks and motivation for sharing balanced meals with their families. Here are the top 10 big ideas they shared, from their families to yours.

     1. Planning is essential; develop systems that make the purchasing, preparing and partaking easier.

     2. Keep it simple. Family meals don’t have to be elaborate to be healthy and effective. Come up with easy ways to balance your meal with simple vegetable side dishes or fruit and yogurt for dessert.

     3. Have healthy food on hand and eat from your freezer or pantry on busy weeknights. Prepare double batches of food when you’re less rushed so you can cook once, eat twice.

     4. The family meal does not have to be dinner, breakfast or lunch may work better in some households.

     5. Toughen up. Offer your family one meal that includes all five food groups and everyone should be able to find something they’ll want to eat.

     6. Turn off technology and tune into each other. Make conversation the focus of family meals, but keep it light. The dinner table is not the place for discipline.

     7. Share the work. Enlist help from the family, from planning the shopping list to making lunches, setting the table, pouring the milk and cleaning up.

     8. Eating as a family is truly comforting for toddlers, teens and adults. Family meals can become a cherished tradition for the whole family.

     9. Dump the guilt. Family meals may not happen every day, and that’s ok. Make the most of your family meals when they occur.

    10. Family meals aren’t always easy, but we think they’re always worth the effort. Start or strengthen your family’s commitment and take the Eat Better, Eat Together family meal pledge today!

Subscribe to the Meals Matter blog, follow @MealsMatter and #EatBetter2Gether on Twitter for more tips, recipes and family meal inspiration.

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.

What is your favorite time of the day with your family? If you’re like me, it is dinnertime. I look forward to dinner together as a time to catch up on everyone’s day, laugh and reinforce our values.

As a working mom, it is important for me to coordinate my schedule along with my husband’s work, plus his volunteer activities with the local Little League board and manager of our youngest boy’s team. Then when you factor in two boys each playing soccer and baseball plus religious education and boy scouts, time in the evenings is at a premium.

For me, the most important part of the week is planning ahead for the days we can have a “regular dinner hour.” Often one of my children is assigned to cook for one of these “RDH” days. I let them pick the recipe and try to make sure all five food groups are included. On other days they help by setting the table, pouring the water and milk, and putting salad dressing and other condiments on the table.

Then there are the “crazy busy” days when activities are during prime dinner hours. For the “CB” days I follow one of two strategies. One is to serve a hearty afterschool snack to allow for a late dinner. Apples with cheese or popcorn, grapes and milk or last night’s leftovers work well. Active children can be hungry after a big workout and a post-sports dinner allows me to serve a nutrient-rich meal rather than sweet snacks. An unexpected benefit of later meals is that they are very relaxing and positive because we are not rushing off to an activity.

On other “CB” days I serve an afternoon snack that is really an early dinner. I can pull Black Bean, Corn and Zucchini enchiladas hot out of the oven or Lickety Split Lasagna Soup from the crock-pot and my boys are delighted. Preparing a recipe that includes most food groups makes it easy to round out the meal with a glass of milk or a bowl of fruit.

Sometimes no matter how hard I try there is no time for a family dinner. Since I’ve pledged to have a family meal most days of the week , I know that family meals can include breakfast and lunch. On those days when dinner together won’t work I make dinner for the kids and for my husband and make a point of sitting and eating with them. Yes, that can mean three dinner times for me but it also means three one-on-one conversations with the three most important men in my life. 

Trina Robertson, Registered Dietitian

This Eat Better, Eat Together blog post is written by Jill Castle, MS, RD, registered dietitian and child nutrition expert. Follow Jill’s blog at Just the Right Byte where she writes about feeding children and offers well-balanced family meal ideas from all five food groups.

As a mom of four children and a child nutrition expert working with children and their families everyday, I live and breathe “mealtime”—the drama, the dynamic and the dilemma of keeping meals healthy and a positive experience for everyone.

Undeniably, parents have a powerful role in guiding their children to a healthy lifestyle, and this begins at the meal table. To help you be a guide for your children, remember these 7 principles:

#1: Eating together increases the likelihood of healthy eating. Joining together at the family meal table is your best defense against picky eating, obesity and eating disorders and your best bet for a healthy weight, good grades and social stability.

#2: Kids can stop eating when they are satisfied. My 9-year old son is a master at stopping when he’s full. He’s not always right, but with a predictable meal routine, he’s learning to become self-aware, self-regulated and a healthy eater.

#3: Kids pleasantly surprise you with their eating. My 14 ½-year old daughter ordered the hummus salad plate at a local eatery, independently. My neighbor’s daughter was a “picky eater,” but when offered family-style meals, she made better choices and was less picky. Kids are ever-changing, so don’t give up on them.

#4: Kids are able to make good food choices. Given a consistent and positive mealtime environment (free of conflict, full of good nutrition and authoritative in style), kids evolve into great eaters. Take note: this can take a whole childhood to accomplish.

#5: When it comes to eating, kids aren’t created equally. I have four kids and they each have their own eating style. I have 2 “grazers”, a “square meal” child and a “foodie.” Getting a predictable meal and snack schedule on board is the only way I know how to match everyone’s eating personality.

#6: Friendly interaction beats pressure. Kids do better with eating when the conversation and mealtime vibe is fun, light and supportive--and not about food or eating performance.

#7: Kids will follow the leader. I know if I do my part with feeding, such as getting meals on the table in a timely fashion and serving a balanced and healthy meal with foods from all five food groups, my kids will do their part with eating.

Admittedly, it’s rewarding when a child makes a good food choice or surprises you with liking a new food. Don’t miss these moments: get the first row tickets, at your meal table!

Jill Castle, MS, RD
www.jillcastle.com

Subscribe to the Meals Matter blog, follow @MealsMatter and #EatBetter2Gether on Twitter for more tips, recipes and family meal inspiration.

Eat Better, Eat Together is a blog series by registered dietitians and parents whose stories and advice help families start or strengthen a commitment to balanced family meals and create healthy, successful families. Take the Eat Better, Eat Together Family Meal Pledge at Facebook.com/MealsMatter.org

We want to know how you balance your family’s needs, activities and preferences to get a well-balanced family meal with all the food groups on the table at least three times per week. On Wednesday, October 12 we’re celebrating moms everywhere who put their families’ health first with the Eat Better, Eat Together Balancing Act Blog Carnival.

If you are passionate about parenting and healthy eating, we invite you to join the Meals Matter Moms and other bloggers in this carnival. Read the guidelines and suggestions below, and send us an email (commngr@dairycouncilofca.org) letting us know you’ll participate and any questions you have.

Carnival Details and Scope

1. Open to all bloggers known for their expertise in nutrition, parenting, family meals, health and related fields. We request that all blog carnival participants take the Eat Better, Eat Together Family Meal Pledge.

2. We reserve the right to accept or reject all entries.

3. The day of the carnival is Wednesday, October 12. Please plan to publish your post on your own blog on Wednesday, October 12 (anytime after midnight PDT). Email the permalink of your post by 10 am PDT on Wednesday, October 12 to (commngr@dairycouncilofca.org).

4. Completing your blog post and scheduling it in advance is highly recommended. Send us the permalink as soon as it is ready. On Wednesday, October 12 at noon, PDT, we will send you code to add to your blog post that includes links to all participating bloggers.

5. Your post should be focused on the topic of  balancing busy schedules and food groups to make mealtime healthy family time – share how you  Eat Better, Eat Together by serving balanced meals with foods from all the food groups. It is a very broad topic; feel free to focus on an aspect of family meals and healthy, balanced eating that most interests you.

Here are a few ideas:

• What are your “go-to” menus that to ensure all five food groups are on the table?

• How do you balance adult and child food preferences without being a short order cook?

• Do you get your children involved in planning and preparing meals? How do you encourage your junior chefs to assist with planning and preparing balanced meals?

• Research shows that families who eat together have higher intakes of key nutrients. How do you make sure your family meals pack the most punch nutritionally?

• How do you balance your busy schedule to make time for healthy family meals? What times during the week do you dedicate to family meals?

• Do you and your family members, maybe older children, take turns planning and preparing meals? Do you share the load so each family member has a different mealtime responsibility? For example, you  make the entrée, your child sets the table, and your husband pours the milk?

• Which foods or food groups do you rely on to be easy to serve and likely to please?

Note: These ideas are meant to spark your creative thoughts. Please do not feel limited by them. You also do not need to address all of them in your article.

Format and Content Guidelines

1. Your blog post should be original and unpublished. If you have written on this topic in the past and would like to re-publish, please try your best to give a new twist to your content.

2. A picture tells a thousand words. Show us your family meal balancing act in video, photos or art.

3. As soon as we receive your blog carnival “RSVP” we will send you an introduction  and  badge you can add to your blog. At noon PDT on Wednesday, October 12, we’ll send you the links to all participating blogs to post, so please be ready to update that afternoon.

Please email commngr@dairycouncilofca.org or send a tweet to @MealsMatter with the hashtag #EatBetter2Gether to indicate your plans to participate in the blog carnival.

Subscribe to the Meals Matter blog, follow @MealsMatter and #EatBetter2Gether on Twitter for more tips, recipes and family meal inspiration.

Eat Better, Eat Together is a blog series by registered dietitians and parents whose stories and advice help families start or strengthen a commitment to balanced family meals and create healthy, successful families. Take the Eat Better, Eat Together Family Meal Pledge at Facebook.com/MealsMatter.org.

Both my husband and I were raised having family meals, and we believe they offer many benefits, so it has been a priority for us to have sit-down, well-balanced meals with our three-year-old twins. Getting a balanced, nutritious meal that everyone will eat on the table night-after-night with two working parents is truly a juggling act.

The part I find easy when putting together a balanced healthy meal is making the main dish (which for us ranges from meat to eggs or fish) and pouring some glasses of milk. But I struggle with the side dishes from the other three food groups that balance out the meal.

These side dishes are important because not only do they balance the options we serve, but they offer “safe” foods that preschoolers are likely to eat on nights when Dijon-smothered chicken with capers isn’t appealing to them.

My solution for busy nights is to go simple. Usually our grains consist of brown rice or a bag of whole-wheat egg noodles with a bit of butter. Only when I’m feeling adventurous will I cook up a little couscous and add some veggies to it. Whole-grain toast with butter and some garlic salt is another quick favorite.

I also go for easy veggie options. Bagged salad for the adults with baby carrots for the kids is a staple. Pre-packaged frozen vegetables that come with cheese or butter sauce are also a go-to item. Steam-in-the-bag green beans splashed with some rice vinegar are on the menu nearly every week.

Rounding out the meal—and usually serving as dessert—are cut-up in-season fruit snatched from the bowl on our countertop.

As we sit down to eat, I do a quick survey of everything we are serving around our main dish: Whole grains? Check. Milk poured? Check. Veggies? Check. Fruit? Check.

Then I breathe a sigh of relief and try to enjoy a few warm bites of my dinner before the never-ending fetching starts: more milk, more noodles, napkins, salt and pepper, a clean fork…

Subscribe to the Meals Matter blog, follow @MealsMatter and #EatBetter2Gether on Twitter for more tips, recipes and family meal inspiration.

Because children who eat with their families have healthier diets, are less likely to be overweight and do better in school than their peers, this fall MealsMatter.org is encouraging families to make or strengthen a commitment to balanced family meals. Take the Eat Better, Eat Together family meal pledge today, then read noted child feeding and nutrition expert Ellyn Satter’s tips on establishing family meal habits in the following article.

GETTING STARTED WITH FAMILY MEALS 

Change the how of family meals first; worry about the what later. Eat what you are eating now, just have it at regular meal- and snack-times. Eat enjoyable food. For you to go to the trouble of having meals, the food has to be rewarding for you to plan, prepare and eat. Pizza makes a fine meal, so do chicken nuggets and canned peaches just arrange to have them ready at meal-time and all sit down together to share them. Put the lunch meat, bread, and lettuce on the table, and make your sandwiches together. Throw in some milk and you have a meal. If the shock of drinking milk is too great, drink what you are drinking now. Remember, the priority is structure.

Use snacks to support mealtime
For children and grown-ups to arrive at the table hungry and ready to eat, they can't have free access to food or drinks between times except for water. Have snacks at set times midway between meals. Consider snacks to be little meals, not just treats. But do include treats such as cookies and chips at meals and snacks, don't try to go without them. Don't force yourself to graze to get the food you want.

Sneak up on planning
Once you and everyone else get through the shock of structure and to the point where you have the meal habit, work toward doing more organized and varied menu-planning. But don't get caught in the shoulds and oughts. For you, and your child to do well with eating, it has to be enjoyable.

Remember, even if your meals are ho-hum, they are way better than no meals at all!  

Copyright © 2011 by Ellyn Satter. Published at http://www.ellynsatter.com/.

Subscribe to the Meals Matter blog, follow @MealsMatter and #EatBetter2Gether on Twitter for more tips, recipes and family meal inspiration.

Eat Better, Eat Together is a blog series by registered dietitians and parents whose stories and advice help families start or strengthen a commitment to balanced family meals and create healthy, successful families. Take the Eat Better, Eat Together Family Meal Pledge at Facebook.com/MealsMatter.org.

The Eat Better, Eat Together family meals campaign promotes the benefits of eating more balanced family meals. You may already know that shared family mealtimes have been associated with reduced risk for pediatric obesity.

Did you also know that family meals are an opportunity to teach children many things that will enrich their lives beyond the immediate health benefits of eating nutritious food?

Here are ten reasons why you should take the Eat Better, Eat Together family meal pledge:

1. Memories Taking the time to sit together at mealtime helps create positive memories for yourself and your family.

2. Enjoyment The first and most important place where children learn positive attitudes about food is in the home. Eating meals together starts a lasting and positive relationship with food.

3. Self Esteem Mealtime conversation brings the family together and promotes positive self-esteem in children.

4. Life skills Children learn best by doing, not watching, so get them involved! You can teach children how to cook balanced meals for themselves by including them in meal planning and preparation.

5. Traditions Mealtime is an ideal time to strengthen family ties and pass on family cultural traditions. Whether you are celebrating a holiday or just eating an everyday meal, things you do in your home will be passed down to your children and grandchildren.

6. Curiosity Kids are more likely to try new foods when they are involved in meal preparation. They have a natural curiosity about food so be sure to offer new foods at mealtime (but never force them to try them.)

7. Relaxation Family meals are the perfect time to connect with each other and share your stories of the day. Shared time and positive experiences with your children is great way connect and relax together after a hectic day of work, school and errands.

8. Responsibility Research has shown that cooking with kids and assigning tasks surrounding mealtime, promotes independence and a sense of responsibility in the kitchen – and in life.

9. Communication Having conversations at mealtime increases your children’s vocabulary. Encourage them to speak by asking about the best part of their day and probe more about what made the best part so great.

10. Love Children watch and imitate adults, and look to them to learn proper behavior for everything from saying please and thank you to learning about fitness and nutrition. Mealtime is the ideal time to remind your children every day that they are important and loved.

Strengthen your commitment to family meals with the MealsMatter.org Eat Better, Eat Together Family Meal Pledge!

Visit Facebook.com/MealsMatter.org to take the pledge and sign up for recipes, meal suggestions and tips on how to balance meals with foods from all five food groups.

Check back here for our Eat Better, Eat Together blog series with family meal tips, resources and stories from Dairy Council of California registered dietitian moms and guests.

Andrea Garen, Registered Dietitian

Subscribe to the Meals Matter blog, follow @MealsMatter and #EatBetter2Gether on Twitter for more tips, recipes and family meal inspiration.

Eat Better, Eat Together is a blog series by registered dietitians and parents whose stories and advice help families start or strengthen a commitment to balanced family meals and create healthy, successful families. Take the Eat Better, Eat Together Family Meal Pledge at Facebook.com/MealsMatter.org. 

When was the last time you sat down for a meal with your family? Was it last night, last week or last month? For some families, eating together is reserved for special events and holidays, like birthdays or Thanksgiving. These special occasion meals allow families to connect with each other, strengthen family ties and pass on family cultural traditions.

But family meals don’t have to be reserved for special occasions. Family meals can happen any time of day, any day of the week! If the words “I’m too busy” pop into your mind, you’re not alone. You probably even hear this from other parents and peers.

Like so many people, my own days revolve around juggling work demands and parent responsibilities. But I’ve learned that family meals can fit into even the busiest of schedules.

By planning family meals ahead of time and getting the whole family involved, you reap a host of benefits:

Children who eat with their families are better nourished, have lower rates of obesity and better vocabularies. These factors can have a positive impact on classroom behavior and academic performance. And when it comes to improving the health of our children, family meals are a great way to instill healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.

As a registered dietitian and mom to an almost-2-year-old, these benefits are truly important to me. That is why I’ve made balanced family meals with foods from all the food groups a priority in my home.

This fall, Dairy Council of California is helping families start or strengthen a commitment to family meals with the MealsMatter.org Eat Better, Eat Together Family Meal Pledge!

Visit Facebook.com/MealsMatter.org to take the pledge and sign up for recipes, meal suggestions and tips on how to balance meals with foods from all five food groups. Check back here for our Eat Better, Eat Together blog series with family meal tips, resources and stories from Dairy Council of California registered dietitian moms and guests.

Subscribe to the Meals Matter blog, follow @MealsMatter and #EatBetter2Gether on Twitter for more tips, recipes and family meal inspiration.

Ashley Rosales, Registered Dietitian

During the 2010 back to school season, MealsMatter.org has been promoting healthy family meals to help children succeed in school and in life. Research shows that dinnertime conversation between adults and children can lead to better vocabulary, higher self-esteem and even a reduced risk of bullying other children.

To help you get conversation started at your dinner table, we compiled advice from the staff at Dairy Council of California, sponsor of MealsMatter.org, other blogs and even the news.

In a recent interview, Michele Obama revealed that at the dinner table, the family plays a game called “roses and thorns,” which means each person reports the good events — the roses — and the bad — the thorns — from their day.

The Bettencourt family of Elk Grove, Calif. would “Shine the Spotlight” on a different family member each day and every member of the family would say something positive about that person.

The blog 24/7 Moms (http://247moms.blogspot.com/ ) offers daily conversation starters and riddles in a feature called Table Talk (http://247moms.blogspot.com/search/label/Table%20Talk) to help families create dinnertime conversation. Some recent Table Talk questions and riddles follow:

• What is your most prized possession?
• What is the best tasting thing you've ever eaten?
• Q: I only have 2 backbones and thousands of ribs. What am I?
• A: A railroad
• Q: What goes up, but never comes down?
• A: Your age.

The Burkman family of San Ramon, Calif. asked their two daughters to share “at least one fun, interesting or good thing that happened to you today.”

The Northrup family of Poway, Calif. started sharing the best and worst part of their days at the dinner table when their oldest child started school. This helped them “gauge whether there were any problems at school.”

Remember that the shared time and positive experiences with your children are important parts of the family meal. Be sure to turn off the TV and radio, put away cell phones and listen to each other. You might learn something!

Here are some addition suggestions- we invite you to leave your own ideas in the comments below!

• Ask children to give examples of how they can make someone they don't know smile the next day, whether it’s someone at the grocery store check-out stand or someone at school they may not know well. Be sure to talk about common-sense safety precautions, as well.
• Ask each child one or two things they did in school, outside of recess.
• Ask children what they did at recess or whether or not their team won during PE.

Studies show that eating breakfast helps weight loss and is associated with better weight control. An ongoing study of people who have maintained weight loss of at least 30 pounds for more than a year shows that eating breakfast keeps people slimmer (National Weight Control Registry). Breakfast eaters tend to eat fewer calories, less saturated fat and cholesterol and have better overall nutritional status than breakfast skippers.

Breakfast can also boost your kids’ bottom line as they hit the books for back-to-school season. Numerous studies show a link between eating a healthy breakfast and higher achievement on standardized tests, better concentration and classroom behavior.

Improve your family’s bottom-line with a breakfast of Creamy Wheat Berry Hot Cereal, Mango and Melon Salad with Strawberry Sauce and Good News Breakfast Smoothies. Other satisfying breakfast ideas to try this week include Gingerbread Pancakes with Apple-Berry Topping, Best Breakfast Yogurt Ever, Sunny Frittata and Toast Danish.

Be sure to add these and other recipes to your family meal plan and shopping list.

FEATURED FAMILY MEAL LINKS
Creamy Wheat Berry Hot Cereal
http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/62352
Mango and Melon Salad with Strawberry Sauce
http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/60853
Good News Breakfast Smoothie
http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/7935

Other Featured Recipes
Gingerbread Pancakes with Apple-Berry Topping
http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/7217
Best Breakfast Yogurt Ever
http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/60816
Sunny Frittata
http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/37974
Toast Danish
http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/8288

Photo Caption: Creamy Wheat-Berry Hot Cereal. Recipe by EatingWell, photo by Ken Burris.