Why Is It Good to Dine with Your Family

After a long day, all you want is to prepare dinner as soon as possible, let everyone in the house know that the food is ready, and let them serve each other whenever and however they want, while you have - finally - a few free moments; Family meal, however, is a valuable and extremely healthy family ritual. And once you're a parent, having a family meal gives your kids many benefits.

Today, everyone - parents and children - have a hectic life, full of all kinds of activities. Therefore, it often happens that you eat separately on the run that is already found or quickly prepare the food so that everyone can serve themselves when they want.

Often, everyone fills their tray with what they find on the stove or in the refrigerator and puts it in front of the TV. A family meal (during which you can sit at the table together!) Seems difficult to organize - especially when members have different programs and when the children are older. But it is worthwhile, as a parent, to try to introduce this family ritual in your home as well: to set a time when you all sit down to dinner.

Why is it good to have a family meal?

A regular meal schedule is extremely healthy. Chaotic eating is a harmful habit, especially for children; and the more irregular the meal times, the more likely there is a tendency to "nibble on something" until the meal, which decreases appetite and does not provide good nutrients (nibbles are not the best food at all).

Especially dinner is good to be taken at a regular time, a few hours before bedtime. Having a family meal teaches children to follow a regular schedule.

At the family meal, you eat healthier. Both in terms of food quality - left alone, the child can ignore cooked food and "steal" a less healthy snack from the kitchen - and in terms of how to eat.

Studies show that the habit of eating in front of the TV is a risk factor for overweight in children and adults, because they chew in a hurry and because they eat continuously while watching, even if the person is full (whenever don't we wake up that we prepared an enormous amount of food without realizing it while watching our favorite series?). It has been observed that when meals are eaten with the family, the food is healthier, including more vegetables.

Family members learn to eat the same food. If you already know that Andrei will want chicken, but Alex will want pasta and you got used to making them to your liking, quickly cooking something for everyone, it's time to set up a family meal, where everyone eats the same food (of course, you have to keep in mind the repulsions of certain foods, but you do not always have to give them exactly what they want).

The rule is simple: "I prepare only one dish (we're not at the restaurant!) And we all eat."

The child learns with more diverse and healthy foods. It is much easier to persuade a small child to try a food that does not appeal to him once you eat in the family, because you give him his example. When the child sees you eating food with pleasure and lust, he will try it without too much restraint (unlike when you only offer him a new food that he finds "dubious"). Thus, you ensure a more varied diet for your child (this in case you do not always cook the same type of food!).

The child learns manners at the table. Dining with the family ensures that the little one is not used to eating carelessly, greedily, in a hurry, and without any manners. Seeing how everyone at the table eats in a certain way, respecting the basic table manners, the child will be less tempted to eat like a little pig.

The child may be involved in arranging the meal. And it can even be a little helpful in preparing the meal. This makes it easier for you to cook almost daily for the family, makes the child feel very useful (especially when you praise him for how good he is), and teaches him that every family member needs to contribute something to the home. Small tasks for everyone and family meals will be easier to prepare and arrange.

Having a family meal brings you closer and strengthens the feeling of communion. It's a family ritual that helps you feel closer - it's so easy to distance yourself from each other, even if you live in the same house!

By having dinner with your family regularly, you also have the chance to talk to each other, to share what has happened, to spend some pleasant moments together, without stress, without quarrels (usually!). The evening meal is relaxing and pleasant, so it is the perfect opportunity for family members to get together after a long day and enjoy tasty food together (in addition, when they eat something tasty, a person is naturally more relaxed. a better mood, that's why the meal together is pleasant).