Finding time to eat dinner as a family has a host of benefits that go far beyond nutrition. Kids who eat with their family do better in school and are less likely to smoke, drink, do drugs or get into fights than those who are left to their own devices. But with two-career households and demanding schedules, who has the time? You do, if you remember some key rules.
Allow a little leeway In addition to all its other benefits, ''having dinner together is probably the single most important way to promote good health and nutrition,'' says Dr David Ludwig, an associate professor of paediatrics at Harvard Medical School and author of Ending the Food Fight. But experts agree that the family meal doesn't have to mean Mum, Dad and all the kids sitting in the dining room at six o'clock five nights a week, eating a made-from-scratch meal. Surprising new research from the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health shows that even if the meal is served in front of the television, kids eat healthier than those who don't dine with loved ones. When a family dines together, they eat better.
''Eating together, no matter what you eat, slows down the process, extending family time,''says Dr Ludwig.
Commit to it If a family dinner just won't work, try breakfast or weekend brunches. The point is to create a routine and stick to it. If you miss a day, pick up where you left off. Talk it Out Share a meal with your children and they'll share information about their lives.
~Reader's Digest
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