20 Reasons to Get Dinner Together as a Family

How often do modern families have dinner together? Most families nowadays don’t do this very often.

It’s understandable. Modern families are busy. Both parents work and sometimes get home at different times. Children have activities to go to, and Mom’s got to drive them all over the place.

However, if we just look back to a few decades or at most two generations before us, eating together as a family was a common practice in most families.

photo credit: jakeoneil

Researchers have found many benefits to home-cooked meals. Watch this video to learn about some of them.

Here are 20 reasons I have found to share family meals more often:

1. Families who eat together eat healthier, because home-cooked food is healthier than fast food.

2. Family meals allow busy families to catch up with each other.

3. Young children learn a lot of verbal skills just by eating with their family members. (*very* true for my 4 years old boy)

4. Having family meals more often forces you to end your working day and other obligations in time for dinner.

5. Home cooked are also cheaper than takeout food or eating out.

6. Cooking at home motivates you to be creative with your meal planning and cooking.

7. Children can get involved in cooking meals.

8. Cooking and eating together creates happy childhood memories.

9. Eating together is an opportunity to explore different cuisines.

10. Eating together gives parents a chance to talk about current events from their point of view, injecting their personal values without giving a lecture. (that’s how unschooling kids learn most things!)

11. Eating together helps family members bond and get to know each other better.

12. You’ll be surprised what your kids reveal when you’re in a relaxed environment, such as a family meal.

13. Family meals can be good learning moments, even for small children. Want to start homeschooling or unschooling? Start at the dinner table!

14. Eating together is a good opportunity to model good manners.

15. Family meals are also good times to share music together.

16. Family meals teach everyone valuable life skills, such as sharing and taking turns.

17. Family meals provide an additional occasion for family members to pray together.

18. Eating home is more eco-friendly than eating out or ordering food – less waste!

19. Kids are less likely to become picky eaters when frequently eating home prepared meals together with the rest of the family.

20. Meal time is a good time to relax and carefully watch your kids grow at their own peace.

If the whole planning, shopping and preparation of meals is something you feel you need some help, maybe it’s possible to try a Menu Planner. Check out Dine Without Whine for kid-tested, quick recipes that will help you put together family meals with less effort. Dine Without Whine’s weekly shopping lists will also help you get food shopping done much faster, and even save money on groceries.

As you can see from the list above, the extra time and effort you spend to have family meals more often are worthwhile.

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Basic Ingredients for a Money Wise Kitchen

Have you ever wondered how our ancestors managed to have complete and nutritious meals every day, without the modern access to ready made food and food preservation methods? Even in many places of the developing world there is no access to such food, many do not use large fridges, but fresh food is brought to their tables for every meal. In fact, I’m still amazed with the size of the shopping carts of many foreigners living in Ecuador, especially those coming from “modern” societies. Trust me, there’s a way to spend less and eat better if we learn from our ancestors and the people in traditional communities.

The items that we have on hand are what determine how far our food will go. Filling your pantry with a few key ingredients can make a difference on your ability to offer quality and varied meals for several days, without breaking the bank. Stocking just a few choice items is all you need to create wonderful meals.

1. Flour. This is a starter for several recipes. Flour is used to make bread (biscuits, rolls, loaves), to coat chicken, and even added to soups. It can also be used to coat a round or square cake pan to prevent the cake from sticking. The best way to get your flour is to grind your own grains using a mill. However, if this is not possible you can stock with whole grain flours for many uses.

2. Rice. When I lived in Japan I learnt that rice is a great ingredient to have on hand. Asian people have invented a myriad of recipes using rice, and it’s even present in the everyday lunch boxes (obento) in the form of onigiri and other delicious preparations. It could be prepared as a side dish, but it doesn’t always have to be plain. It can be jazzed up with veggies to accompany dinner. Sweet rice preparations are also delicious. A popular dessert is rice pudding. Rice can also be mixed with leftover meat and a cream soup to form a casserole. If you’ve not tried brown rice yet, maybe it’s time to give it a try. The nutritional benefits of going choosing brown
rice are worth the extra cooking time. Plus, cooked rice can be kept in the fridge (and even at room temperature in chilly days) for several days.

3. Pasta. There are many different pasta choices and all have great uses. Manicotti can be stuffed with tomato sauce and cheeses. Macaroni can be used to make a creamy salad and also is great combined with cheese or spaghetti sauce. Spiral pasta is used in many different pasta salads. Spaghetti can be used in a casserole topped with cheese or in the traditional way with tomato sauce and meat. I’d love to start making our own pasta. It doesn’t seem to be so difficult anyways. If buying, chose pasta made from whole ingredients.

4. Spices. There are other ways to season food besides salt and pepper. In fact, many spices taste better than salt. Cayenne pepper, chili powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, thyme, oregano, ginger, and garlic powder are all useful tools in your flavor arsenal to give foods a fresh new taste. Also, small amounts of marine salt are good for our health. It’s a good idea to buy them in bulk and stock them for several months. Just check how much you can save by doing this. You can also try to buy in bulk with a friend and divide the costs.

5. Beans. They can top your salad (edamame), make an awesome dip (black beans), and go well with grilled foods (baked beans). They provide a good source of protein with very little fat. Beans are good in soups, stews, and over rice for a simple yet filling meal. Just don’t forget to soak your beans overnight before cooking. If grandmothers did it, there must be a good reason (in fact there is: nutrients are better absorbed this way.)

6. Fermented food. Almost every culture have their traditional fermented food. Fermentation is a preservation method that is actually good for our health. Try fermenting pastured fed milk into yogurt and it could be kept for over a week in the fridge. Fermented vegetables go great with meat, rice and even alone as an entrée. Most fermented vegetables get better with time, so you can stock them in glass jars for several months.

Do you have these staples in your kitchen? You may be able to come up with several others that will enhance your pantry and save money. Start with these and grow your own list of basic kitchen staples that are versatile, healthy, and economical. photo credit: star5112

Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions is a great source of traditional and fermented food recipes, as well as of information on good nutrition. Not to be missed.

photo credit: Arria Belli

Healthy Grilling Tips

As summer is coming in the northern part of the world, families start looking for ways of escaping from the warm kitchen to the backyard or park. Grilling is a great option for outdoors cooking, and it’s in fact healthier than you would think. This is not dependent on the type of grill you have it is the procedure. Below you’ll find some healthy grilling tips.

Start with meat
If you’re preparing chicken, start by cutting off the excess fat. If you’re buying at the supermarket, usually all traces of fat have been removed in the store before packaging.

Outer fat on the steaks should be cut away but it’s fine to have the marbled effect within the meat. The same for pork. A butcher can guide you to the right cuts of meat for grilling if you ask them.

A good reason to remove the fat is that it eliminates the cancer causing char and smoke. Fat falling in the fire can initiate flare-ups that will burn the meat and char it in places. If this does occur, remove the charred part.

Proceed with your vegetables
You are cooking the meat on there, why not the rest of the meal? Spray a piece of aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray and then wrap your sliced vegetables in it. The heat from the grill will create convection current inside the foil. Make sure that you tent the foil so that the air can move among the vegetables. If you’re not an aluminum foil fan (like me) you could try holding your vegetables over the grill directly or with sticks until they’re ready to eat. Another option when you have smal pieces is to place a skillet over the grill and place the vegetables on it.

Fish is a healthy alternative to other meats
Fattier fish like salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Fish is tasty and tender when cooked on the grill. Fillets of fish crumble up easy so put them in foil just like the vegetables to keep them together during grilling. Fish steaks are better for direct grill cooking than fillets. They are thick but will cook quicker than other meats so don’t turn your back on them.

Experiment with seasonings other than salt
The process sears the outside and the seasonings that you have applied. Combined with the succulent juices that will once the meat is cut, these seasonings will add flavor to your meal.

To grill healthy doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor or your favorite meats. The fat that is in the meat will all drip away as it cooks leaving you with a tender and heart-friendly main course.

photo credit: weanders

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