Family
Come To The Table The Importance of Family Dinners
By
Aug 29, 2005, 13:20

(ARA) - The kitchen has long been touted as the heart of the home but recent studies show that consistent family dinners offer more than nourishment. A recent study released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University found that the more often children have dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs.
“It is vital that frequent family dinners become a permanent fixture for children, not only when they are young, but throughout their teenage years,” said Dr. Wade F. Horn, assistant secretary for Children and Families at the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. “The frequency of family dinners decreases significantly as children enter and go through high school -- and that’s just when the benefits of family dinners may be needed most.”

Teens Who Dine, Shine

Eating meals together is one aspect of family life that has been demonstrated to benefit children, and the time spent around the dinner table fosters security and trust. Rituals and togetherness has long been touted as a forceful factor behind healthy youth development. A 1999 study by RL Tepper, found that young people whose families routinely ate meals together spent more time on homework and reading for pleasure.

Using information like this as a cornerstone, former President Bush, former First Lady Barbara Bush and CASA board member Jamie Lee Curtis are getting the message in front of the American public. President Bush is citing a Family Day to help promote parental engagement as a simple and effective way to raise healthier children.

Teens who have dinner with their families five or more nights in a week are:

* 32 percent less likely to try cigarettes

* 45 percent less likely to try alcohol

* 24 percent less likely to smoke pot

* Twice as likely to receive A’s in school compared to teens that have dinner with their families two or fewer times a week.

Family Dinners Foster Good Eating Habits

Another damaging result of the decline of the family dinner is the rise in obesity in children. Studies show that frequency of eating family meals is associated with greater consumption of fruits and vegetables, less fried food, less saturated and trans fats and more fiber.

“As parents, we need to foster eating habits that last a lifetime,” says Karen Hutcherson co-owner of Relish! (www.relishrelish.com) an online menu service designed to help busy families with dinner planning. “You don’t have to be a gourmet cook to prepare wonderful meals, you just need to be organized. Plan ahead, shop ahead and use some of the innovative new services available.”

Make Dinner Hour a Priority

Parents are beginning to recognize that our children are over scheduled and that the dinner hour is suffering because of it. The lack of family continuity has some serious emotional and nutritional consequences and some parents are beginning to charge. Many parents are saying no to revolving front doors and they’re eating dinner at the table rather than in the car. Rethink your priorities, it will make a big difference in the end.

* Take a stand with coaches, dance teachers and anyone else who is eating into your dinner hour. If enough parents get together, attitudes will change.

* Even if you get home late, don’t rely on fast food. Have your older children help prep the food and eat late if you have to.

* Turn off the TV, don’t answer the phone and make sure the dinner hour is an open forum for children to discuss their issues.

* Resist the urge to be the manners police or to lecture or preach.

* Plan your meals on Sunday and have everything in the refrigerator by Monday.

Tools of the Trade

With a little organization, you can have your meals planned and ready to go. Relish! is one of the many services available to help with dinner planning.

“Relish! is a web service and offers subscribers weekly menus with easy-to-follow grocery lists,” says Hutcherson. For only $7 a month, our subscribers receive weekly menus with quick-prep meals with gourmet twists.” No sloppy casseroles or kitchen blunders. All of the Relish! dinners are tested and simple.” The site also offers many member extras like freezable dinners, simple desserts and more. Visit www.relishrelish.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content

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