Eating As A Family

                                    

Cooking and eating together is one of the joys of family life, according to an article in the August 2010 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. Below, are a couple of ground rules that will make it go smoothly, from noted author Barbara Kingsolver:

1. While convenience foods look like salvation in the short run for time-pressed families, real mealtimes give a family civility, economy, and health.

2. Save more labor-intensive meals (quiche, lasagna, and roasted chicken) for the weekend.

3. When everyone pitches in, calories get used up before anyone sits down at the table.

4. More significantly, a lot of talk happens before dinner, too, across the generations

Another good reason to eat dinner together is adolescent girls who eat five or more meals a week with their families are about one-third less likely to develop dangerous eating patterns than those who dine with their folks less often.