Take family meals outside and give TV a break. There's nothing to lose but a half hour of news. Photo courtesy of www.readersdigest.com.
Growing up, I remember eating dinner as a family every night – Sunday through Saturday. Because our dining room was basically connected to the living room, we could watch tv while we were eating and as a child that was the best thing in the world! Eventually, as my sister and I got older, the tv was moved to the family room and we had to stare at each other while we ate. At the time, I didn’t see the point. We lived together so we could stare at each other whenever we wanted. But as I look back, I can see what my mom was doing. By taking the tv away, we started communicating more at dinner. Checking in with each other to see how our days went. If I was struggling with a math technique that day, dad would offer to help after dinner. This was also a time for us to just be together. Enjoying each other’s company and sometimes laughing so hard we cried when mom tried to tell us some of the jokes she heard that day.
Today in the US, we see a growing trend of busier lives, children on their own, and less family time. As a Registered Dietitian, I hear many clients talk about less time to shop, less time to cook and less time period. Along with less time usually comes less money. There is no money to eat healthy, eating at fast food is cheaper and quicker, and sometimes my clients just don’t like to cook. When they talk of their families, it is usually in a stressed tone as they aren’t quite sure what their kids have been up to and they feel their spouses aren’t taking their share of the responsibility.
Eating dinner together doesn’t have to feel like moving mountains. My parents’ commute from work was at least 45 minutes – one way. My sister and I were 4 years apart and so had different schedules for after school sports and activities. We lived in the middle of nowhere so finding a neighbor to help “carpool” was a bit tricky. However, despite all of this, we made it work. Here are some benefits of bringing the family back to the table:
- Syracuse University studies show that eating together as a family are associated with happier marriages, improved children’s health, and stronger family ties.
- Family meals can hone a child’s social skills and teach them table ettiquette and good manners.
- Dining together makes for healthier eaters. Kids who regularly eat with their families tend to have healthier eating patterns. They consume more fruits and vegetables and fewer fried foods, sodas, and saturated fat than kids who don’t share family meals, says the American Dietetic Association.
If fitting a family dinner into your schedule seems impossible, just try one day. Set one day a week with your family that you will all sit down and eat dinner together. One day is all it takes to start a trend. If you don’t have time to cook, look to restaurants that provide healthier options for take out. You’ll soon see that once you make the time to sit as a family you’ll be able to make the time for preparing the meal with your family.
So on this National Registered Dietitian Day, my advice is to make an effort and bring the family back to the table…!
For more information on Registered Dietitians and National Registered Dietitian Day, visit www.eatright.org.
Chicken Pasta Salad
I often hear the same question “What is there to do in the middle of winter, when the snow covers the ground, and there is a chill in the air?” Well, this past Saturday, February 13, I had the privilege to be a volunteer for the North American VASA Race held annually in Traverse City, Michigan. This year would be the mark of the 34th race held. Linda Deneen, who is one of the board members for the race, allowed me to follow her for the day and help out at the local event. Linda is a retired Licensed Professional Counselor from Traverse City’s Central High School and enjoys spending much of her time helping out and organizing local community events like the VASA. She has also been a participant in the race for many years, and this year decided to, instead, root on all her friends in the event. Linda organized a wonderful program this fall called, “SheSkis”, which is a cross-country skiing program that encourages women of all ages to get out and enjoy the activity. Another program she put together is “WeSki”, an instructional family ski program. Even some of the women who were new to skiing this year and joined her weekly program on Wednesday’s, “SheSki’s”, decided to sign up for the VASA and further challenge themselves.
The half way point for some of the race was “The Rock” location on the trail, so Linda and I drove out into the woods to go there and continue to cheer on the racers. There were also volunteers out there who had a tent sent up, and were supplying the skiers with water as they passed by. I saw many new – and neat – ideas. One was a volunteer in the tented area grilling bananas to give to the racers as a warm treat and boost of energy that they may need to finish. We walked on up the trail a little ways from the tent, and Linda made sure to supply me with a cowbell and with our bells in hand we stood with her friends out at “The Rock” and cheered on the racers to keep pushing!
The hectic holiday season has come to an end. Hopefully this means most of us can get back to our daily routines and put a stop to the insanity that has been running our lives for the past few months. Whether you where good or bad over the holidays, let’s make it a goal to get back into the routine of being active! It’s February, and with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, why not be active with your loved one! I understand you and your significant other may be at different fitness levels but that doesn’t mean you can’t work out together! There are a number of reasons to give it a try.
By Alexa Powell, Student Intern