What's For Dinner?

Bite This: One study showed that almost 50% of parents today say they eat fewer family meals now than they did growing up.

The question that plagues me. I often treat it as a rhetorical question because my husband knows the answer already – I do not know. You would think being a dietitian that the answer would come easily. You would also think that menu planning, meal prepping, and cooking are my forte. Truth is, I do not even do the grocery shopping.

I find that even when I do meal plan, by the time dinner rolls around, I look at the ingredients with disgust and exasperation. And then, I whip up something completely different.  One night I thought about why I do this (as if I do not have enough to think about) and it came down to the simple fact that I just do not like to cook. As much as I try to convince myself that I like it, I don’t. I almost feel guilty about my disinterest in cooking because after all, I am a dietitian. I do not like following recipes – my food never turns out right because I take shortcuts or substitute one ingredient for another I do own. I do not like to clean dishes. I do not like spending time making something that no one will eat (at no fault of theirs – it’s usually because of the reason that my food never turns out right).

You would think then that we dine out often, or get carry out, or just fend for ourselves and eat different meals, but we do not. I often just put my head down, drink some wine, and whip something up. Often with a toddler at my feet trying to put his or her head in the oven or pull boiling water off the stove. Even though I don’t like to cook, eating at home and family meals are what I value. This is the way I grew up – always having dinner as a family.  I think it is important to teach our children how to cook (even if you do not like it), show them how to communicate, and to model good eating habits. And sometimes with hectic schedules, dinner time is the only time you available to catch up with the family about the day.

Cooking and sitting down for family meals has been shown to help manage weight and improve mental health. One study found that adolescents who eat five or more family meals per week have fewer depressive symptoms and better emotional well-being. Another study in the International Journal of Eating Disorders found that frequency of family meals had an impact on reducing risk of unhealthy weight control behaviors in young adolescents. Family meals have also been shown to promote healthier eating, trying new foods, and give young children a sense of belonging.

When our kids were just babies, we would pull their high chairs up to the table and all have dinner together – without phones or television.  So now, as 3-year-olds, they come up to the table when called, and they sit relatively well through a meal. They may get distracted and leave the table momentarily, but they almost always come back when threatened that their meal will be eaten by the dog.

I know it is not possible to eat as a family every single evening, but the more the better. And if not dinner, try breakfast.

How often do you have family meals?

Sound bite: If you’re like me and do not like to cook, do it anyway. Aim for 4-5 family meals per week – breakfast, lunch, or dinner!