Sitting down together for a meal is a great way to connect with your family. Keeping it relaxed is key to making sure you’re getting the most out of this time together, including talking, laughing and choosing healthy foods. Here are some tips to make meals more relaxed in your home:
- Remove distractions. Turn off the TV and put away phones and tablets, so your attention is on each other.
- Talk to each other. Talk about your day—for example, what made you laugh or what you did for fun. Other conversation starters include:
- Give each family member the spotlight to share his or her highlight, lowlight, and “funnylight” from the day or week.
- If our family lived in a zoo, what animals would we be and why?
- If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
- If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have only one food to eat, what would it be and why?
- Pass on traditions. Tell your kids about the “good old days” such as foods Grandma made that you loved to eat.
- Let kids make choices. Set a table with healthy food and let everyone, including the kids, make choices about what they want and how much to eat.
- Let everyone help. Kids learn by doing. Your little one might get the napkins while older kids can help with fixing foods and cleanup.
- Make-your-own dishes like tacos, mini pizzas and yogurt desserts get everyone involved in mealtime.
- On nice days, opt for a change of scenery. For example, go to a nearby park for a dinner picnic.
