We know eating together as a family is important, but sometimes it can be tough. Try these tips to make your family meals a success, and make an effort to eat together as a family during National Family Mealtime month in September.

With school starting, it may feel like your family is getting pulled in all directions.  Piano practice, football games, swim team tryouts, school projects, and study groups may be filling up your family’s schedule.  An important way to keep your family connected in busy times is having meals together.  Family meals have been associated with improved diets, academic performance and vocabularies. They also decrease the risk of children experiencing depression, eating disorders, and drug/alcohol use.

This may be why September has been declared National Family Mealtime month, and Healthy Family Meals month in Utah. Here are some tips that can help make family mealtime a habit.

1. Plan and prioritize. Make family mealtime a priority by planning it in your day.  Plan when, where, and what you will be eating.  Let your family know that it is important for everyone to be present.  Take time each month (or a few times a month) to plan your meals.  This can help you save time and money throughout the month.
2. Make it work for your family.  Is family dinnertime not working?  Try family breakfast, lunch, or afterschool snack time.  Just take time to sit together, share a healthy meal (or snack), and connect as a family.
3. Ditch the electronics.   With so much socializing happening online, we can lose touch with the art of conversation.  Help your family spend time together undistracted by turning off or putting away cell phones and other electronic devices.  Parents, this includes your devices too!
4. Keep it simple and fun.  Family mealtime doesn’t need to be a source of stress.  By planning your meal and involving the whole family in the prep and cleanup, you can keep it from being a burden.  Also, don’t put too much pressure on yourself that it has to be a certain way (see tip # 2).  Use this time to talk about your days and fun memories.  Avoid discussing topics that may lead to contention: discipline, etc.

Equipped with these tips, we invite you to take the pledge to start the habit of more family mealtimes this September.

For more family mealtime tips, check out our resources at CreateBetterHealth.usu.edu.

This article was written by LaCee Jimenez, Food $ense (SNAP-Ed) Coordinator with Utah State University Extension

A key to successful family mealtime is planning. Research has shown that cooking at home is significantly more likely if you already know what you will have for dinner.

10 Steps to Meal Planning

1. Set aside time each week for menu planning. The amount of time you need will decrease as you gain practice.
2. Ask your family for ideas of what they would like to eat during the week.
3. Plan your menu around food items you already have in the pantry.
4. Choose a variety of meals including family favorites, budget stretchers, and quick fix meals.
5. Cook once, eat twice.
6. Plan to use your leftovers.
7. Picture USDA’s MyPlate as you plan each meal.
8. Have your local store circulars available. Take advantage of those sales!
9. Create a thorough shopping list.
10. Keep it simple! Successful family meals don’t have to be gourmet; they just have to be a time together.

Printable Weekly Menu Planner

Quick Tips

Tired of planning a menu every week? Try planning a 2-4 week cycle menu. Choose meals for 2—4 weeks and then repeat once the cycle is over. Change cycle menus with the seasons to take advantage of local produce.

Bored of the same old meals? Add some theme nights to your week. Taco Tuesdays, Breakfast for Dinner Thursdays, or Sandwich Saturdays are fun for the whole family. Let the kids choose a theme and then make some table decorations for added entertainment.

September is National Family Mealtime month. Each Friday this month we’ll be posting on that topic — specifically from the Live Well Utah Cookbook, Family Mealtime Edition. This publication is available for free at your local Extension office, or available digitally here. It features some great tips on the importance of family mealtime and meal planning, plus 21 quick, inexpensive, and nutritious recipes that are sure to please even the pickiest eaters. 

Warm up this fall with a bowl of minestrone soup. Recipe from the Live Well Utah Cookbook, Family Mealtime Edition.

Minestrone Soup

Adapted from the Live Well Utah Cookbook, Family Mealtime Edition

• 2 15 oz. cans kidney beans
• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 ½ cups zucchini, diced
• ¾ cup celery, sliced
• ½ cup carrot, diced
• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. Creole seasoning
• ½ cup uncooked penne, or other small pasta

Place one can of kidney beans in a food processor and process until smooth.* Spoon bean puree into a heavy pot; stir in remaining can of beans, water, zucchini, celery, carrot, tomatoes, and Creole seasoning. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in pasta; cook uncovered an additional 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.

*Note: If you do not have a food processor you can mash the beans in a bowl with the bottom of a glass, or use a blender or immersion blender.

September is National Family Mealtime month. Each Friday this month we’ll be posting on that topic — specifically from the Live Well Utah Cookbook, Family Mealtime Edition. This publication is available for free at your local Extension office, or available digitally here. It features some great tips on the importance of family mealtime and meal planning, plus 21 quick, inexpensive, and nutritious recipes that are sure to please even the pickiest eaters. 

Looking for a make-ahead breakfast to streamline your family’s morning routine? Try overnight oatmeal, and spend your morning eating together instead of scrambling to cook breakfast.

Peach Overnight Oats

Adapted from the Live Well Utah Cookbook, Family Mealtime Edition

• 8 oz. containers (pint sized mason jars work well)

Per container:

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup sliced peaches (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tbsp. honey, or other sweetener
• sprinkle of cinnamon

To each container add oats, milk, vanilla, peaches, sweetener, and cinnamon in the amounts listed above, and cover with lids. Place filled containers in the refrigerator and let sit overnight. Oats will absorb the milk and some juice from the peaches. Enjoy in the morning!

Variations

Pumpkin Pie: in place of peaches, mix 1/2 cup canned pumpkin with 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Spoon desired amount into jar (1/4-1/2 cup) before refrigerating, and top with chopped pecans before eating.

Any Season Berry: sub 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries for peaches.

Other Ideas: Try adding in chia seeds or ground flaxseed to your oats, adding more liquid as needed. Try substituting nut milk or part Greek yogurt in the recipe, and add fruits, nuts and seeds as desired to customize the flavors.

September is National Family Mealtime month. Each Friday this month we’ll be posting on that topic — specifically from the Live Well Utah Cookbook, Family Mealtime Edition. This publication is available for free at your local Extension office, or available digitally here. It features some great tips on the importance of family mealtime and meal planning, plus 21 quick, inexpensive, and nutritious recipes that are sure to please even the pickiest eaters. 

Break the silence at the dinner table with these fun conversation starters! 

10 Questions to Get Your Family Talking

Struggling to find something to talk about? Read through these conversation starters at each meal to get the chatter rolling. Create some crazy questions of your own when these run out.

• If you were in the circus, what circus act would you perform?
• If you could do anything all day, everyday, what would it be?
• If you could fly in a hot air balloon over any place in the world, where would you go?
• If you had to wear a hat everyday, what type of hat would you choose?
• Share your favorite tradition for each of the four seasons.
• If you could choose one super power to have, what would you choose?
• What is a new food you would like to try?
• Name three famous people you would like to have dinner with.
• What is your favorite vegetable?
• What is your favorite outside activity?

Did you know?

Children who participate in consistent family mealtimes perform better academically and develop larger vocabularies.

September is National Family Mealtime month. Each Friday this month we’ll be posting on that topic — specifically from the Live Well Utah Cookbook, Family Mealtime Edition. This publication is available for free at your local Extension office, or available digitally here. It features some great tips on the importance of family mealtime and meal planning, plus 21 quick, inexpensive, and nutritious recipes that are sure to please even the pickiest eaters. 

Families who eat together have overall healthier diets, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t indulge in a sweet treat every now and then at end of your family meal. There are three healthy, delicious dessert recipes in the Live Well Utah Cookbook, Family Mealtime Edition. Today we’re sharing one of them- Apple Cranberry Crisp. This is a perfect dessert for autumn, as local apples are in season and abundant at farmers markets. 

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Filling

• 5 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping

• 1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

in a 2 quart baking dish, combine apples and cranberries. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and toss to coat.

In a small bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Using a fork, cut butter into topping mixture until crumbly. Sprinkle topping evenly over apple filling. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until apples are tender. Serve warm.

September is National Family Mealtime month. Each Friday this month we’ll be posting on that topic — specifically from the Live Well Utah Cookbook, Family Mealtime Edition. This publication is available for free at your local Extension office, or available digitally here. It features some great tips on the importance of family mealtime and meal planning, plus 21 quick, inexpensive, and nutritious recipes that are sure to please even the pickiest eaters. 

Success in school could be as easy as having family dinner each night. Find out why, and get six tips on how to make that family mealtime happen.

With back to school right around the corner, parents and children are hopeful for a successful school year. Parents would go to any length to help their children achieve in all aspects of life; socially, emotionally and academically. But what if all it took to help children succeed was an hour or even less on most days of the week? Taking just one hour of your day to share a meal with your family has benefits that reach well beyond the dining room table.

Research suggests that children who regularly participate in family mealtimes perform better academically, develop larger vocabularies and have better communication skills than children who do not eat as a family (Utter et al., 2013, Quarmby, T. & Dagkas, S., 2013). These same children are also more likely to have overall healthier diets, consume more fruits and vegetables, maintain a healthy body weight and struggle with disordered eating less frequently (Gillman, 2000). They are also less likely to engage in risky behavior such as tobacco, drug and alcohol use (Utter et al., 2013).  Families experience stronger family bonds and have more positive interactions when they enjoy meals together (Utter et al., 2013). Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

Despite all of these documented benefits, tight schedules and budgets often keep families from having meals together as often as they would like. Follow the tips below to create enjoyable and successful family mealtimes in your home.

1. Plan meals ahead of time. If you already know what you are going to make, you will be more likely to actually do it. Planning also helps ensure you have all the ingredients you need.

2. Schedule a set time for meals. Knowing that dinner is at 6 p.m. will allow family members to schedule other activities around dinnertime. But, remember family mealtime isn’t just for dinner. If everyone is more available on weekend mornings, make breakfast your family meal.

3. Involve family members in the meal planning, preparation and clean-up. This lightens the load for everyone. Having family members involved in the planning will also ensure that everyone has at least some meals they like during the week.

4. Unplug for dinner. No television, phones or other devices allowed. Family mealtimes are beneficial because it is a time for your family to share about the day and reconnect with each other through conversation.

5. Keep conversation at family meals positive. Try to keep family mealtimes an enjoyable experience. They are not the best place for disciplining children or arguing with spouses. Try using a conversation jar with fun topics to keep the chatter light and enjoyable.

6. Keep it simple. Family mealtimes do not have to be gourmet; they just have to be together. Find ideas and recipes for simple, healthy meals on the Food $ense website, extension.usu.edu/foodsense.

This article was written by Casey Coombs, RD, CD; Policy, Systems, and Environments Coordinator, Utah State University Food $ense, casey.coombs@usu.edu.

Sources:

Gillman, M. (2000). Family dinner and diet quality among older children and adolescents. Archives of Family Medicine, 9(3), 235-240.

Quarmby, T., & Dagkas, S. (2013). Informal mealtime pedagogies: Exploring the influence of family structure on young people’s healthy eating dispositions. Sport, Education and Society, 20(3), 323-339.

Utter, J., Denny, S., Robinson, E., Fleming, T., Ameratunga, S., & Grant, S. (2013). Family meals and the well-being of adolescents. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 49(11), 906-911.

Make the most of family mealtime!

Bonding Over Brisket

With the average husband and wife both having to work full-time, or a single mother or father juggling the children and work, sitting down to have dinner together is probably one of the most difficult but important things a family can do.

Sitting down together at the family table and talking to each other about the events of the day without interruptions from the TV or other electronic devices has proven to be very beneficial.

Families should ensure spending time together is built into their weekly schedule. And since we all have to eat, why not make it a point for family time to be spent sharing a meal together?

Here’s how family mealtime will benefit your family beyond the dinner table:

• Encourages better nutrition. According to the FDA, Americans now consume about one-third of their total calories on foods prepared outside the home. The Center for Disease Control has linked obesity to the propensity of Americans to eat in restaurants where portions are large. Home cooking allows a family to select healthy ingredients, tailor meals to suit its own particular nutritional needs and tastes, serve portions appropriate to age and activity level and monitor methods of preparation.

• Saves money. According to the National Restaurant Association, Americans spend 45 percent of their food budget dining out. A family that eats most meals cooked at home saves substantial food dollars.

• Promotes long-term health care savings. Consistently eating high-calorie, high-fat foods can lead to obesity and heart disease, among other chronic issues. Eating healthier, home-cooked meals and adopting a healthier lifestyle will leave a person less likely to develop these health conditions. This practice will save money in the future on costs related to health care and prescriptions.

• Builds life skills. Manners and etiquette help build character and self-esteem, and help build a positive environment. Eating together provides the opportunity to test drive etiquette and manners. Family mealtime is a perfect occasion for everyone in the family to learn how to set the table, prepare food and clean the dishes. Parents are able to role model healthy eating habits and table manners during family meals.

• Strengthens communication skills. The number one source of conflict in a family is lack of or mis-communication. Conversations during the meal provide opportunities for the family to bond, plan, connect, and learn from one another. In a series of focus groups conducted with low-income program participants by the Nutrition Education Network of Washington, participants said they believed that the primary benefit to eating together was strengthening relationships by providing opportunities for communication. Other studies report similar perceptions on the part of parents.

Other things happen during mealtimes as well, including: socialization of children; establishment of family unity, safety, and security for children; and increased literacy and language development.

Data suggests that eating dinner as a family can provide positive life-improving benefits. These benefits for children, especially adolescents, have been shown to cross racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines, but some glaring distinctions exist between families who share meals and those who don’t.

References

Campbell, C. Bond with your Family: Eat Together. http://powertochange.com/family/bonddinner/.
Jan 13, 2012
Forthun, L.F. (2008a). Family Nutrition: The Truth About Family Meals. Gainesville, FL: Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication number: FCS8871. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1061
Hand, B. The Benefits of Eating Together, The Family Who Eats Together Stays Together. Retrieved April 10, from http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=439.

This article was written by Paula Scott, Utah EFNEP State Director, Heidi LeBlanc, Food $ense State Director and Debra Christofferson, Utah Food $ense Assist. Director.

When your life is constantly on the go, don’t let nutrition go!

Eating Healthy in a Hurry

It’s a fact: life is crazy. Unfortunately, one of the first things to go when life gets hectic is a healthy diet. It’s hard to find time to cook a delicious meal or prepare a variety of dishes when you barely have time to save your sanity!

When your life is in a whirlwind and you still want to watch what you eat, follow these top 10 tips from Eat Well Utah!

Here are a couple of tips:

#2. Keep a well-stocked pantry. A well stocked pantry with staple items like rice, pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, and herbs and spices can be thrown together for a quick, yet healthy meal when your day didn’t quite go as planned. For a list of good foods to have on hand, click here.

#6. Use a slow cooker. Many slow cooker recipes call for little prep time and long, slow cooking times. Take a minute to throw the ingredients in the slow cooker, leave it, and you will have a great meal later.

For eight other great tips, click here!

Also, try one of these tasty, hasty dishes. They are perfect to make when your schedule is full but your stomach isn’t.