THE BENEFIT OF
FAMILY MEALS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO
IMPACT YOUR FUTURE
GENERATIONS
HOW OUR SOCIETY HAS
CHANGED
• FASTER PACE
• MORE CRIME
• FAMILY LIVES
FARTHER AWAY
FROM EACH
OTHER
• NEIGHBORS
DON’T KNOW
EACH OTHER
How Life Has Changed
• MORE STRESS
• COMPUTERS
• MEDIA
• MORE
SECULARISM
• LOOSER
MORALS
• LIFE IS MORE
COMPLEX
• FAST FOOD
• LESS NUCLEAR
FAMILIES
• MORE DRUGS
We Are Eating Out More
…less often at home.
Fond Memories
Do you have
fond
memories of
eating
together?
TRADITIONS
WHAT
FAVORITE
TRADITIONS
DID YOUR
FAMILY CARRY
ON AROUND
FOOD?
We don’t eat together because..
“In the last days,
men shall be
running to and
fro…”
..We often do what is easy as we
are too busy and in a hurry.
FIGHTING THE “EASY” WAY
–
Our 24 hours a day, 7 day a week pace does not
appear to be slowing down anytime soon. We
often cave in and do things the easiest way.
Traditions…Traditions!
• Families have to work at
creating the tradition of eating
together. Fight to connect with
your family even if it is only 1230 minutes per day.
Anything that is important to you
..needs to be
a scheduled
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE EAT
TOGETHER?
Meals bring together families.
They increase connections and
communication.
A Symbol Of Love
2. Sitting down for a meal
with family, it is a symbol of
love.
We can read about meals that Christ
was at- because what happened
there was of significance.
Involvement
3. Family meals reflect
involved parent(s) or people
(from other generations)
who have the opportunity to
talk and to listen to what
kids have to say.
Connect
3. Children find
it comforting
to know their
parents want
to know
what's going
on in their
lives.
Unity and Trust
4. Mealtimes can
foster family
unity and trust,
and provide a
setting for moral
and intellectual
discussions that
reflect family
values.
Benefits of Having Regular Meals
At Home
Having meals at
home is the
single strongest
predictor of
1)better
achievement
scores,
2) higher grades
Behavioral Issues
3) and fewer behavioral
problems in children.
Nutritional Advantages
4) Kids are more
likely to eat more
fruits, vegetables,
and grains when
supervised,
resulting in more
fiber, vitamins and
minerals.
More Powerful
Mealtime was found to be a more
powerful influence than time spent in
school, studying, church, playing
sports, or art activities.
LESS SMOKING AND DRINKING
• Adolescents who frequently sat down
to family meals had less depression,
and were less likely to drink alcohol,
smoke, or use marijuana than kids
who ate with their families less than
twice a week.
2003 Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine
EATING DISORDERS
• University of
Minnesota
study even
found that
family meals
help protect
kids against
eating
disorders.
Better Verbal Skills
Mealtime
encourages
conversation
and interaction
around the
dinner table,
improving
vocabulary and
communication
skills.
Better Size Portion and Nutrition
When cooking
at home,
parents have
more control
over the quality
of food and
portion sizes.
What Can Go Wrong?
…with planning
meals at home?
Don’t Do Battle Over Foods
Well-intentioned parents might find
themselves bargaining or bribing
kids so they eat the healthy food in
front of them.
A BETTER STRATEGY
1) Give kids control, but also limit the
kind of foods available at home
2) Kids should decide if they're hungry,
what they will eat from the foods
served, and when they're full.
Choices
3) Something parents can control is which
foods are available to the child, both at
mealtime and between meals.
Clean Plate Club
4) Don't force
kids to clean
their plates.
Doing so
teaches kids to
override
feelings of
fullness.
..OR NO DESSERT!
5) Don't bribe or reward kids with
food. Avoid using dessert as the prize
for eating the meal.
Take A Dip
6)Get kids to
dip their fruit
and vegetables
in sauces,
salad
dressings,
gravies or
special dip..
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
…you can get
them to eat
foods this way
that they
wouldn’t
normally eat
One Bite…
7) Ask your child just to have one bite of
everything. This way they get some
nutrients and they may be surprised by the
taste (hopefully).
Deal A Meal
You don’t have to have DINNER together.
You could have BREAKFAST or meals on just
weekends…
Family Times
8) Schedule family
meals ahead and
let the family
know about it.
Try to work up
to 3-5 meals a
week.
You may think you don’t have to do
anything about meals because:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
You are single
You are childless
You have empty nest
Someone else should do it
You have never cooked before
You have teens
You are a grandparent
Single Alert
..find people who would appreciate a
meal and share it.
Empty Nesters and Childless• There are people
that will enjoy
your company.
The Lord will put
them in your
path.
Poor In Spirit and Finances• Remember the Stone Soup Story.
Just make soup and ask everyone to
bring one item to add to it. Those
lonely or without money will enjoy the
being thought of.
Someone Else Should Do It?
• Hmm…I wonder what the Bible says
about that?
“Come, Let Us Reason Together…”
..is a good place to start.
Got Teens?
• They may resent this if they never
had to come to a meal before.
• Give them buy-in by planning the
meal
• Get them involved in making the meal
• Let them invite a friend
Calling All Grandparents
• You realize that things are different
than they were when you were
growing up.
• Family dinners are usually
appreciated. Start a tradition and
invite family or friends over one day
or evening each month.
GOD WILL HELP YOU
He can help you
find a way to
meet needs
He can help you
find children to
serve
He can help you
find adults to
serve
OPEN YOUR HOME
He can bless your cooking
Just be willing to open your home
Open Heart
• If you don’t have
any family, there
are church
members,
neighbors and
their friends that
are always
happy to come
eat.
Fast Ways To Get A Meal Started
EASY MEALS:
– Haystacks
– Baked Potato
Bar
– Soup and
salad
– Potluck it-
Getting Started
Get others involved
in meal preparation
Conversation
No complaining
Turn off the TV
Share about each
Other and laugh
•
•
•
•
•
Put Veggies In a Container for
Instant Salads
• Sprouts
Shredded
Carrots
• Radishes
Different types • Chopped raw
veggies (jicama,
of lettuce,
peppers, onions,
Frozen peas
etc.)
Toasted Nuts • Drained beans
(garbanzos,
Seeds
kidney, etc.)
(sunflower,
• Olives, sliced
sesames)
and drained
People Love Salads
YOUR KIDS ARE WATCHING
Enjoy the
experience of
eating together
and know..
You will impact
children forever
You Will Not Only Bless Others
You will bless yourself