Family Meals

Make time for sit-down suppers with the family. Eating meals together can help keep your kids slimmer and healthier.
Teach your children healthy eating habits through family dinners. Kids who regularly eat at-home meals together are less likely to be overweight and have a lower risk of eating disorders. That’s according to a recent study in the journal Pediatrics.
The study also found that kids who ate meals with their family at least three times a week were 20 percent less likely to eat unhealthy food like sweets, fried foods, soda and other junk food. Kids have the opportunity to learn good nutrition at the dinner table, because at-home meals are often lower in fat and calories than dishes served at restaurants. Parents also tend to include more vegetables in home-cooked meals. Try to make mealtime a priority at least a few times each week.