For centuries people have focused on their diet, striving to stay healthy by eating more nutritious meals. Whichever type of diet you choose, the focus should not always be about food. Shontae R. Buffington, M.D., appreciates the value of a family dinner. “I was raised by a single mother. The one constant in my life was that every night, we sat down to dinner together. Now, as a mom of two teenagers, I plan meals and we sit down, undistracted. If my daughter comes home late from sports, we have her meal waiting,” Buffington says.
Not only is Buffington a mother, but she is also vice chief of Pediatrics at the Southeast Georgia Health System Brunswick Campus, and one of the pediatricians at Southeast Georgia Physician Associates-Pediatrics in Brunswick.
If a busy pediatrician can make time for family dinners, so can we!
The Benefits of a Sit-Down Dinner
As you juggle work, family and extracurricular activities, dinnertime may get lost in the shuffle. October is Eat Better, Eat Together Month – a great reason to rediscover the benefits of the family meal or dinner with friends.
Buffington admits it is not easy to find time, stating, “The challenges can be too many to number.” However, as a pediatrician, she sees the benefits, “In families who eat together, more thought goes into the meal. They tend to be more balanced, with a protein, vegetable and starch. The children are generally physically and mentally healthier, too.”
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics agrees. They report that “children of families who regularly eat together are more likely to have higher intakes of fruits and vegetables, have a healthy weight, and are less likely to have behavior problems or use drugs, cigarettes or alcohol when they get older.”
Sit-down meals establish a framework children can follow for the rest of their lives. Especially if parents’ model healthy habits. “Most habits – good or bad – are formed over time,” Buffington says. Another benefit? “Overeating is less likely.” That helps children avoid problems with weight, diabetes and heart disease.
If someone loves Southern food, but their waistline doesn’t, Buffington encourages small changes over time. “You can’t overhaul a person’s diet in one visit. I start by taking a food history of what they eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I might suggest replacing whole milk with two percent, diluting sweet tea by half, or eating half as much grits as usual.”
She also teaches families to read food labels. “When you realize your soda contains 16 teaspoons of sugar, you might drink it less often,” she explains.
Getting Everyone to the Table
Eating with family and friends on a regular basis may improve social skills, healthier eating habits, and reduce behavioral problems in teenagers. It is also associated with reducing stress in adults. When sit down dinners disappear, how do you get everyone back to the table? “Start with one meal a week,” Buffington says. “It doesn’t always have to be dinner; breakfast or lunch may work better for your family.”
Buffington shares some tips to get you started:
Establish a routine where everyone is expected to sit down at the same time.
Turn off phones, tablets and televisions.
Practice mindful eating. Put the fork down between bites. You’re less likely to overeat.
Engage in conversation.
Serve simple, well-balanced meals – lean protein, a vegetable or fruit and whole grains. Frozen and canned vegetables save time, as does store-bought spaghetti sauce. Just choose products with less sugar, salt and fat.
Use double-duty foods. Take half of Sunday’s roasted chicken and toss it into Monday’s pasta salad.
Make it fun! Plan a picnic, let younger kids choose a new fruit or vegetable to try or let teens help plan meals. Choose a theme (Taco Tuesday?) and make healthier versions of fast-food favorites (low-fat cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and refried beans in tacos instead of meat.)
Don’t run a restaurant. Everyone eats the same food.
Small children love to imitate their parents. Let them help in the kitchen – it takes patience, but you’re teaching life lessons along the way.
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Original source can be found here.
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