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October 9, 2018

Eat Better, Eat Together Month

Eating together as a family may be more important than you think. There are many benefits to eating with your family, so why not start now for October’s National Eat Better, Eat Together Month? Some of the benefits you will see include: improved relationships and connections, better nutrition, an opportunity to teach children about portion sizes and healthy foods, and a place for children to practice their social skills. Children with families who eat together are more likely to snack on healthy foods versus unhealthy foods. They are also more likely to do better in school and have improved behavioral traits. Finding the time to sit down together as a family to eat can sometimes be a challenge, but it is a well worth it one!

Some tips to make eating together as a family a priority are scheduling meals, preparing meals beforehand, and making a simple meal. When scheduling meals, make sure to check the calendar so the entire family can join for the meal. If you are a part of a busy family, try setting a goal of one or two family meals per week at first. To help save time, complete some of the food preparation another time when you are not so busy to help take the stress off cooking a meal from start to finish in one sitting. You could even cook a complete meal and freeze it for later in the week! Just remember, these meals do not need to be super fancy either – just nutritious and delicious!

Ways to Involve Your Kids:

  • Ask for ideas when making a grocery list
  • Take children to the grocery store with you to help them pick out foods and educate them on picking healthier options
  • Have them help set the table and turn off the TV to prepare for the family meal
  • When cooking, children can help rinse vegetables, add ingredients to the bowl, or mix the ingredients
  • It is important that children find family meals enjoyable, so always keep it fun in the kitchen!

 

Recipe for Wraps

Ingredients (1 serving):

1 8- to 10-inch whole wheat tortilla

1-2 T. dressing (i.e. low-fat mayonnaise, salsa, guacamole, hummus)

½ cup of your favorite vegetables

¼ cup of your favorite protein

1-2 T. shredded cheese

Directions:

  1. Heat the tortilla in the microwave or in a hot pan.
  2. Mix all of the filler ingredients in a bowl.
  3. Spread the filler ingredients onto the tortilla.
  4. Leave a 1-inch margin around the edge of the tortilla.
  5. Roll up the tortilla.
  6. Enjoy!

Tip #1: To help keep the wrap held together, wrap it in tin foil or plastic wrap.

Tip #2: If you are preparing the wrap for a later meal, begin layering with a leafy base to avoid a soggy tortilla.