March is National Nutrition Month. For many families, nutrition is a top priority at the dinner table. Parents worry about whether or not they’re serving enough vegetables (and whether the kids are eating enough of them!). What’s on the plate, and how much of it is consumed, often becomes the focus of dinnertime.
It’s easy to see why. Good nutrition makes a big difference in overall health, and family dinners certainly do a lot to boost positive outcomes: Research shows that people who regularly sit down to dinner with their families consume fewer fried foods and sugary drinks, have a reduced risk of obesity and better lifelong eating habits. Teens even have better body image and lower risk of eating disorders when they share meals with their families. But the benefits of family dinner can go far beyond the physical. This month, we encourage you to think about nutrition not just for your family’s bodies, but for their minds and spirits as well.
How can dinnertime make your whole family happier, healthier and smarter? Here are some ideas to make family dinner nutritious in every way:
Get Healthy
- How much you eat can be as important as what you eat! Check out blogger Bettina Siegel’s words of wisdom about asking kids “Are You Full?”
- Setting yourself up for success makes cooking healthy dinners easier. Here, one father shares his list for a well-stocked pantry.
- Making healthy food appealing is often a struggle for busy families. Try some of the recipes in our Befores and Afters section for kid-friendly takes on fruits and vegetables!
Get Smart
- Build literacy and sequencing skills in younger kids with storytelling games like Story by Sentence and Story Starters.
- Use activities like State Capitals, the Alphabet Game and the Salad Bowl Game to reinforce school concepts and quick thinking skills as kids get a little older.
- Engage teens and tweens in higher-level “brain games” like Fictionary and Higglety Pigglety to stretch their vocabularies and creative thinking skills.
Get Happy
- Share family recipes and the stories behind them — research shows that kids who know their family stories are more resilient than their peers.
- Play games like 2 Minute Interview, or choose more in-depth questions from our interview archives, to get to know one another better.
- Engage the whole family in deeper discussions using topics from our Conversation of the Week or Challenging Conversations sections.
- Build each other up with activities like Origami Love Notes and 20 Things I Love About….
- Laugh together! For little ones, silly games like Cat and Cow will bring on non-stop giggles. Older kids might enjoy tongue twisters, a family Joke Jar or a game of Would You Rather…?
Family of the Month
This month, we’re pleased to introduce the Donner family! Nutrition is top of mind for Jacqui and Josh as they try to get their three kids to broaden their food horizons.
Real Family Dinner Projects: The Donner Family
Food
Looking for green recipes for Saint Patrick’s Day? Keep vegetables at the forefront with these tasty Green Confetti Pancakes!
Fun
Engage the kids in food, fun and conversation all at once — and reinforce healthy habits — with a Grocery Scavenger Hunt!
Conversation
Shared meals matter! Use these conversation starters about family dinner at your table.
