According to Harvard Graduate School of Education, only about 30% of families eat together regularly. Over the past 30 years, affluent families have increased their numbers of eating together, while the opposite is true for lower income families. HEALTHY family dinners are great for the body, physical health, academic performance, and mental health. Those who grow up having home cooked family dinners full of fruit, fiber, vegetables, and protein in home cooked meals tend to have lower rates of obesity…. Idea SOLD! For a really interesting conversation with Dr. Anne Fishel about why family dinners are so beneficial click here.

The reality is, there’s prep, clean-up, picky eaters, and time. Just remember, dinner time is a time to gather, to uplift one another, and connect. The more inclusive your children are in the decision making process, the more they will eat what is served. Carrots (want them crunchy or soft?), Pasta (want them plain or with sauce?), What kind of vegetable (Broccoli or Cauliflower?), Water (with ice or no ice?). The more thought parents put into how they can engage kids at the table, the less it becomes about food and the more it becomes about getting to know each other. Good luck!

(coming soon)