10 North Shore Children & Families by Andrea Cohen, M.Ed. Your family arrives to the table joyously awaiting a slow-paced meal filled with stories, insights, hearty laughter and authentic smiles. Once the food is gathered and prepared, this end of day feast will bring health and harmony to all. It is a celebratory banquet, a moment of unity in an otherwise frenzied day. If this sounds like a fairy tale or some extinct custom last seen in Mayfield, USA, maybe you are missing out. The meaningful tradition of family mealtime is an outstanding opportunity for communication building, family bonding and fun. Why is it important to eat as a family at least some of the time? On the surface, there is the clear and inarguable motivation of spending quality time in each other’s company. When digging deeper, however, there are mounds of evidence suggesting and even insisting that the family meal will benefit your children by teaching healthy eating patterns, improving academic standings and even reducing high-risk behaviors into their teen years. Although we are no longer striving for the self-conscious cheerfulness of the Cleaver family home, these simple practices can add an essence of grace to your evening meal while maintaining your customary routines. Shape them in any manner to suit your family’s unique identity. Encourage your child to create the menu or choose a main ingredient. This can be a real vote of confidence and respect. If you feel the need to set up parameters around the options, do so before you present the choices. Alternatively, enjoy the experiment and go with whatever your child chooses. The benefit of a wonderful meal together In Good Health The Family Meal might outweigh the occasional menu of French toast with gummy bears and whipped cream! Are the kids (or grownups) feeling grumpy? Avoid heated topics at the table. There is a time and a place for those conversations but it is not during dinner. Eating in a relaxed state is crucial for healthy digestion and assimilation. If dinner is to be a time for sharing, the atmosphere should remain open and welcoming. Is there a choosy eater at the table? Try using a favorite ingredient (such as peanut/nut butter or yogurt [dairy or non]) to create a sauce that will make carrots or peas tastier to discriminating taste buds. TV or no TV? That is the question. It turns out that TV might not get in the way of family bonding as much as previously assumed. This is not to suggest that it is a benign ingredient. Many studies have shown a positive correlation between hours in front of the television and childhood obesity. Nevertheless, if your family bonds around the TV, choose programming together that creates amusement or heart-felt conversation. Is there a budding chef in the house? Allow the kids who are interested to help shop, prepare, cook, set the table, serve or clean up afterwards. How about an artist? Encourage him to design a custom menu for the meal. A musician? Let her set the mood with a CD or digital playlist. The family meal is not just about food. Your role is to discover what appeals to your child and to encourage them to participate through that component. Cooking and eating together can be an act of love – and when the whole family participates, the family meal can create a platform of consistency and cohesion that will give children of all ages a safe place to explore ideas, express personalities and learn healthy life- long behaviors. Even June Cleaver would give her stamp of approval. Andrea Cohen is a local food psychology coach: www.fullcirclefoodcoaching.com.

The Family Meal (In Good Health by Andrea Cohen, February 2011)

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The Family Meal (In Good Health by Andrea Cohen, February 2011,published in North Shore Children & Families)

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Page 1: The Family Meal (In Good Health by Andrea Cohen, February 2011)

10 North Shore Children & Families

by Andrea Cohen, M.Ed.

Your family arrives to the table joyously awaiting a slow-paced meal filled with stories,insights, hearty laughter and authentic smiles. Once the food is gathered and prepared,this end of day feast will bring health and harmony to all. It is a celebratory banquet, amoment of unity in an otherwise frenzied day. If this sounds like a fairy tale or someextinct custom last seen in Mayfield, USA, maybe you are missing out. The meaningfultradition of family mealtime is an outstanding opportunity for communication building,family bonding and fun.

Why is it important to eat as a family at least some of the time? On the surface, thereis the clear and inarguable motivation of spending quality time in each other’scompany. When digging deeper, however, there are mounds of evidence suggesting andeven insisting that the family meal will benefit your children by teaching healthy eatingpatterns, improving academic standings and even reducing high-risk behaviors into theirteen years.

Although we are no longer striving for the self-conscious cheerfulness of the Cleaverfamily home, these simple practices can add an essence of grace to your evening mealwhile maintaining your customary routines. Shape them in any manner to suit yourfamily’s unique identity.

Encourage your child to create the menu or choose a main ingredient. This can be areal vote of confidence and respect. If you feel the need to set up parameters aroundthe options, do so before you present the choices. Alternatively, enjoy the experimentand go with whatever your child chooses. The benefit of a wonderful meal together

In Good Health

The Family Meal might outweigh the occasional menu of French toast with gummy bears and whippedcream!

Are the kids (or grownups) feeling grumpy? Avoid heated topics at the table. Thereis a time and a place for those conversations but it is not during dinner. Eating in arelaxed state is crucial for healthy digestion and assimilation. If dinner is to be a timefor sharing, the atmosphere should remain open and welcoming.

Is there a choosy eater at the table? Try using a favorite ingredient (such aspeanut/nut butter or yogurt [dairy or non]) to create a sauce that will make carrotsor peas tastier to discriminating taste buds.

TV or no TV? That is the question. It turns out that TV might not get in the way offamily bonding as much as previously assumed. This is not to suggest that it is abenign ingredient. Many studies have shown a positive correlation between hours infront of the television and childhood obesity. Nevertheless, if your family bondsaround the TV, choose programming together that creates amusement or heart-feltconversation.

Is there a budding chef in the house? Allow the kids who are interested to help shop,prepare, cook, set the table, serve or clean up afterwards. How about an artist?Encourage him to design a custom menu for the meal. A musician? Let her set themood with a CD or digital playlist.

The family meal is not just about food. Your role is to discover what appeals to yourchild and to encourage them to participate through that component. Cooking andeating together can be an act of love – and when the whole family participates, thefamily meal can create a platform of consistency and cohesion that will give childrenof all ages a safe place to explore ideas, express personalities and learn healthy life-long behaviors. Even June Cleaver would give her stamp of approval.

Andrea Cohen is a local food psychology coach: www.fullcirclefoodcoaching.com.