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Newsletter: March 2018

Family Dinner: It’s Good For You

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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

Get Happy

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!

Green Confetti Pancakes

Fun

Engage the kids in food, fun and conversation all at once — and reinforce healthy habits — with a Grocery Scavenger Hunt!

Grocery Scavenger Hunt

Conversation

Shared meals matter! Use these conversation starters about family dinner at your table.