Managing Family Meals

Today's fast-paced lifestyle may have you wondering how well your family is eating and whether you can help them eat better. Are they eating breakfast before they run off for the day? Do they pack a healthy lunch? What about snacks – are they making healthy choices? Are you having family dinners together? If so, you may be managing family meals just fine. However, like many others, you might be finding it a challenge to sit down together and eat. Here are some ways you might make some improvements to your family's meals.

Plan ahead!

Deciding what your family will eat is as simple as making a healthy shopping list. After all – what's in your kitchen is what your family will eat! Take time in the morning to think about the family meals for the day. Better yet plan a whole week's worth of meals – especially those busy weeknight suppers.

Have breakfast every day!

Eating breakfast provides energy to get you going, improves concentration. People who eat breakfast are more likely to have a healthy weight. For a quick breakfast:

• enjoy a whole grain cereal with milk and fresh or dried fruit and a small glass of juice;
• make a smoothie with yogurt and fresh, frozen or canned fruit and have it with half a whole wheat bagel or small oatmeal or lower fat bran muffin;
• cook up a poached or scrambled egg in the microwave and have it on toast along with a glass of juice.

Take a healthy lunch!

A missed meal can leave you or your child hungry and may cause overeating later in the day. Whether you eat lunch at home, at your desk or in your car, include something from each of the four food groups. For a balanced lunch:

• have sandwiches made with lean chicken, turkey, ham or beef, or egg, salmon or light tuna; use whole grain bread, buns, bagels, pita bread, or flour tortilla wraps; serve with raw veggie sticks and a glass of milk;
• take a thermos of broccoli, carrot, tomato, squash or minestrone soup and enjoy with cheese and crackers and some fruit;
• enjoy a Greek salad with a lower fat dressing, whole wheat pita bread triangles and tzatziki;
• add skinless cooked chicken to a leafy green salad, bean salad, or mix with leftover rice or noodles and steamed vegetables; enjoy with a glass of milk.

Provide healthy snacks!

Young children and school-age kids can't go long without food and need something healthy to eat before supper. Healthy snacks will disappear quickly when kids are hungry. Having an evening snack may mean you or your child didn't eat enough supper. If you eat in front of the TV pay attention to the kinds and amounts of foods you eat as it's easy to lose track and have more than you need.

Instead of chips or cookies:

• prepare a fruit plate with cut up melons, apples, pears, orange sections, pineapples; use vanilla yogurt as a dip;
• serve raw veggies with a low calorie ranch or Caesar dressing as dip;
• blend up a fruity smoothie;
• have a hard boiled egg;
• try hummus with pita bread triangles and baby carrots;
• choose whole grain crackers with a small amount of cheese (one inch cubes) and apple slices;
• have a bowl of whole grain cereal with milk.

Make ONE supper meal for the whole family!

There is nothing more frustrating than being in the kitchen catering to everyone's likes and dislikes. Make meals that most family members will enjoy and avoid becoming a short order cook. Try to make time to enjoy eating meals as a family as families that eat together tend to eat better. If a family member has to miss the meal – make up a plate of food that they can reheat in the microwave later. Avoid too many fast food or prepackaged meals as your family may get more fat, salt or calories than they really need!

Here are some fast and easy meals you can try:

• serve cooked deli chicken with bagged salad, baby carrots and whole grain buns;
• cook once and have two meals - make up a batch of soup or stew or two lasagnas instead of one and freeze extras for a meal another day;
• use convenience foods such a deli-cooked chicken to add to salads, or to make enchiladas, sandwiches or wraps; use prepared tomato based sauces to make pasta dishes and canned beans for bean burritos or chili.

For more tips on healthy eating for families go to the Dietitians of Canada website.