Top Reasons to Reinstate the Family Meal

Whatever happened to family dinners, home cooked meals and kisses on the forehead for good night, right?

These days, we all seem to be in a rush to get somewhere, do something, get something done – so much so that we seem to have dropped the importance of family altogether and replaced it with quasi-love on the go. Family values appear to be long gone together with your grandma’s homemade chicken pot pie, with all of us, apparently, just spinning in circles. And while all the instant closeness and fast drive-through food does give you a sense of belonging and fills out your tummy, there’s nothing like the beauty of true values – watching your kid grow up into a wonderful adult, being there to instill healthy habits, spending quality time with your partner, learning to communicate through warm and supporting interaction, building an encouraging atmosphere that fights any frustration, etc.

photo credits: https://www.flickr.com/

Bringing Back Family Dinner

In a world that’s actively encouraging emotional distances, bringing back family dinner is the best decision to make these days; here’s why.

Encouraging family bonding

Sharing a meal together with your family is a perfect way to get everyone together in one place, share the love and unwind. Together, the whole table is communicating, sharing, and getting uplifted with all the love you’ve got for one another. Further, gathered for a meal, you get to not only enjoy the food but enjoy the time together, share stories about your days, brainstorm new life decisions, consult on next steps to take, laugh… it’s a wonderful, warm experience!

Learning/teaching the importance of health

Homemade meals are, by default, healthy; based on veggies, natural juices, fruits, cooked meals, lean meats and fish, homemade meals are the best possible replacement for all the fried foods and sodas your child (and yourself) would eat on the go. A meal in the house will have higher amounts of many key nutrients, like iron, calcium, and fiber. Family dinners allow for not only eating healthy but discussing (and explaining) why healthy choices matter as much as they do.

photo credits: https://www.flickr.com/

Controlling the portions

Obesity has become one of the main diseases of the modern world, and we’re all to blame. Meals outside of the home are very convenient (especially if you are running on a tight schedule) but they are also caloric – an average restaurant meal has as much as 60% more calories than a homemade meal. Studies explain that “when we are presented with more food, we eat more food, possibly leading to our expanding waistlines”. Eating at home will help both you and your child be in control of your weight in a healthy way. Bye, bye obesity!

Keeping things tight

Family dinners don’t have to be limited to your immediate family only; in fact, the more family members you gather, the better – everyone gets to stay close and in each other’s lives. If you are overworked and yet feel like hosting a family gathering, the “problem” of a homemade meal can be easily solved. Turning to the amazing party catering from Sydney will give your event a homey atmosphere with the service offering bespoke menus, delicious drinks and outstanding service to match your theme (and budget!). So, if you are after a family atmosphere, you’ll get it – all you need to do is ask.

Introducing new foods

Eating with your family is a perfect opportunity to introduce different foods and expand everyone’s tastes in the process. You can even have a bonding moment and cook together, experiment with new tastes and likes. Various online recipes are available at any given moment, so why not try! Even introducing a new salad type into an already familiar meal will be exciting enough.

Call us old-fashioned, but we still believe family is root of all that’s good and healthy. Wouldn’t you agree?

Note:  Emma Lawson is an Aussie lifestyle blogger who constantly improves her skills both as a teacher and as a parent.   She is passionate about writing and learning new things that can help us lead a quality life.  Emma shared her “5 tips to start cooking after childbirth” at Momi Berlin about a month ago.  She is guest blogging again, this time about “Bringing dinner back.”  She enumerates the top reasons to reinstate the family meal.  This topic is very similar to what I passionately believe in.  I first wrote about it here.   

admberlin