Eat Healthy – at home and away
July 28, 2008
Did You Know...Children who eat dinner with their family eat more vegetables and calcium, less junk food.
Think about what you try to you serve your family. Now think about the goals of the local fast food joint – the place your family is most likely to eat when they are out. Your goals have to do with taste and nutrition; theirs have to do with profits.
Now think about the kinds of conversations you have about food when you're at your kitchen table – what tastes good, what's good for you. When you are at a restaurant, kids are more likely to demand treats; and adults are more likely to give in.
It's not surprising that we eat better when we're at home. What is interesting is that families who eat together also eat more healthy foods when they eat out. The example that you set at home, the conversations that you have around food, help your kids make smarter decisions even when they are away. I don't know about you, but decades later, my parents' voices are still in my ears.
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today. You can buy this book from our friends at Smucker's® Online Store.
