NUTRITIOUS TABLE

Linda Farr RD/LD  210-735-2402

Serving San Antonio and South Texas
with personalized nutrition counseling,
customized for health, nutrition and fitness needs.

Family Mealtime

Mealtime in the home should accomplish two main goals:

1. Provide nutritious meals
2. Provide a forum for family communication.

Both of these goals should be accomplished in a manner that is positive, loving and relaxed.

The best way to be sure your family is getting nutritious meals is by including variety into the meals you prepare. A well-balanced meal includes all of the food pyramid food groups. Select foods low in added sugars, low in saturated, hydrogenated and trans fat, and high in fiber. Finally, be sure that your portions all fit onto a 10 inch dinner plate. Use a divided picnic plate to guide your portion sizes. The protein and starch or grain should each be a quarter of the plate. The fruits and vegetables should be the other half of the plate. Serve your dairy in a glass or bowl to the side.

Family mealtime allows parents to role model healthy food choices and eating patterns, proper manners, and light family conversation. It also allows children to develop a healthy relationship with food and their parents. The following guidelines are suggestions for making mealtime with your family more enjoyable. Use your own good judgment in interpreting their use.

1. SCHEDULE REGULAR MEAL TIMES

Finding a time when all family members can sit down and eat a meal together can be very difficult. Start off by actually scheduling one or two family meals every week. It may need to be breakfast instead of dinner to begin with. Consider designating a specific day to simplify scheduling. Place the date and time on the kitchen calendar, in appointment books or on sticky notes in your child's backpack. An added benefit--regular meal timing tends to decrease snacking and unnecessary caloric intake.

2. PLAN MEALS IN ADVANCE

Meal preparation will usually be better organized, less stressful, and healthier if you plan your menu ahead of time. Keep recipes for your favorite menu items in a clear sheet protector organized by meal type. Place in a binder for easy access.

3. EAT MEALS AROUND THE DINNER TABLE

Avoid distractions such as reading or watching TV during mealtimes. Your focus should be on pleasant family interactions. Don't eat standing up. Stand-up eaters tend to eat too fast and too much because they don't pay attend to what they are eating.

4. KEEP MEAL TIME PLEASANT AND UNSTRESSFUL

Mealtime is not the time to discuss family problems or discipline issues. Try to avoid power struggles. These issues should be handled at a more appropriate time. Food is digested more easily in a relaxed atmosphere.

5. EAT MEALS SLOWLY

Try these tips to slow down: chew food thoroughly, put your fork down between bites, eat your meal in courses like a restaurant. Try to pay attention to your hunger and fullness during the meal. It takes a minimum of 20-30 minutes for your appetite to register after eating. If you eat too quickly, you can easily eat too much and take in too many calories.

6. TRY RECIPES WITH A NEW TWIST

Check out new recipe books with mouthwatering pictures or look back into your recipe files for some old family favorites. Use color, texture, and varying sizes and shapes for variety and added meal appeal. Colorful garnishes from fruits and vegetables using fun kitchen gadgets add nutritional value and dress up any plate.

7. GET THE WHOLE FAMILY INVOLVED

Assign one task to each family member so that everyone can learn to participate in meal planning. Shopping for groceries, folding napkins, setting the table, selecting music and centerpiece, carving the meat, plating the salad or pouring the beverages are only a few examples.

8. DON'T WITHHOLD FOOD AS A PUNISHMENT OR USE AS A REWARD

The body needs food as nourishment to properly function, grow, and maintain health. Using food as a source of control can cause power struggles and decrease the eating enjoyment and thus nutritional health.