Family meals promote children's healthy eating

Eating with your kids is very important to their long term health. A new study found that when families ate together 5 or more times a week, children were more likely to establish healthy eating habits and less likely to participate in unhealthy eating and dieting behaviors. The researchers looked at adolescents, ages 13-16. Specifically, they found a strong relationship related to girls; the less a family ate together, the greater the potential for disordered eating and extreme weight loss measures (diet pills, laxatives, bulimia).

While my children are still quite young, I recognize the strong messages and eating behaviors that are established when you sit down together for a meal. Children look to adults for cues about what they should be eating and are certainly more likely to try new foods and eat vegetables if they see you do it. I know this is how my 4 year old started eating salmon; he saw us doing it. Lately, we've had a tough time sitting down to dinner as a family since my husband doesn't get home from work until after the kids' bedtimes. But, it's important for many reasons to eat together; so, we've come up with a few solutions that may work for you, too, if you have the same dilemma:

• on the weekend have family meals several times, including lunch or breakfast; make sure to have a variety of healthy foods (even when eating out)
• during the week, eat together as much as possible - breakfast may work better on some days; perhaps schedules can be altered to go to the office earlier one or two days to come home earlier for dinner
• resist over scheduling children with activities so they are always eating on the run; set a rule for the number of days participating in extra-curricular activities and get all of your kids on the same schedule
• if every member of the family can't join for dinner, that's okay; still sit down and eat a balanced meal with those that can

Mealtime is so important to the well being of your children. Besides establishing good eating habits and offering greater nutrition, it's a time to catch up on events of the day or week and unwind together. In the hectic race through life, slowing down and eating together are the times you will cherish and remember, and so will your kids.