Eat Together for a Gratifying Dinner Experience

Good Times Together

Eating together nurtures the child to be more confident, have better vocabularies and score high marks in assessments. Present day world makes it tricky to have regular family meals together, but the results are worth the effort taken.

Try these tips given by registered dietitian nutritionists to make time to eat with your loved ones.

Plan Ahead to Eat a Healthy Meal

Planning meals in advance helps you save time and gives you the extra cushion to add a nutritional punch to your family meal. Take care of these criteria before heading out to the grocery store:

•          Make it a point to include at least one food from each of the five food groups: grains,                    vegetables, fruits, dairy and protein foods.
•          Restrict intake of high-calorie and fatty foods.
•          Take a conscious decision to include high-fiber foods like whole-grain breads and cereals, vegetables, fruits, dry beans, nuts and seeds. Eating healthy foods add a nutritional punch to your body and makes you stay full for longer periods.

Give a shot at this balanced and nutritious dinner menu which your entire family will fall in love with: Mediterranean chicken breast (a boneless, skinless chicken breast baked for 20 minutes with lemon juice, pinch of oregano and topped with feta cheese); steamed broccoli; brown rice; vanilla low-fat yogurt topped with fresh berries and a glass of plain water. Vegetarians can go for stir-fry vegetables and dal (garden-fresh veggies of your choice) instead of chicken breast.

Eat in Style 

The entire family can come together for meal preparation, at least during weekends. Adults can prepare the entrée, older children can make salads and little ones can set the table using their creative minds. Sharing your workload paves the way for more communication and rapport between family members. For more advantages on eating together, please visit the website www.firsteatright.com.

Lastly, engage yourself in a positive conversation with your family to make it a wholesome dining experience. Switch off any electronic gadgets like mobiles and make sure to turn off the television while tuning in to your loved ones.