The Magic Of A Family Meal  Teenagers gulping junk food slouched in front of the Television or snacking at odd hours cooped up in their rooms, could not only be nutritionally deprived, they are deprived of the best element of family life - the family meal that nurtures manners, patience, self �discipline.It would be an error to underestimate its importance in character-formation of the young.
Dining Together:
The biggest travesty of this generation is that families don�t dine together.Dining together not only fosters good table manners but good social skills.There is an awareness of the other that comes from sitting down together.And the ideal family meal calls for undistracted dining, not sitting in front of the TV.Even otherwise, new research shows that families who watch TV during dinnertime tend to develop poor eating habits, putting kids at risk from obesity or malnutrition.A Tuft University study, recently released by the American Academy Of Paediatrics, found that when families did�nt separate eating from other activities, particularly watching TV, kids consumed fewer fruits and vegetables and more junk food.
Eating is one of the most fundamental health-related behavior we have.Cutting out distractions at mealtimes, such as TV, is the best way to ensure that healthier foods make it to the table.Once parents separate and structure eating times, incorporating healthy foods becomes much simpler.
Recipes For The Family:
1.The Family Breakfast:
Breakfast shows the day, after �fasting� all night, the body�s glucose reserves dip.Not topping them up in the morning means all organs arre low on fuel.This holds true for every individual member of the family, children, parents, grandparents.
The perfect breakfast:
-Fast to cook(or no cooking required).
-Easy to eat one-dish meal.
-Nutritious and fortified, supplying at least 25 per cent of daily requirements.
-Heavy on complex carbohydrates and with a good portion of fibre so as to be filling.
-Low in fats but with enough healthy fats(can be nuts) to prime the brain.
-Including good-quality protein to stave off hunger pangs and stoke physical activity.
-Include dairy products so as to supply calcium for bone-building or bone strenthening.
-A good source of iron and vitamin C, A and all the B-complex group.
-Not just a sugary drink without fibre.Or else blood sugar � and mood and energy along with it � will dip later, causing cravings and affecting performance. ************************************************ Family Breakfast tips, Recipes |
