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Start a new “Family Meal” weekly tradition… beginning with Thanksgiving this year!

Start a new “Family Meal” weekly tradition… beginning with Thanksgiving this year!
Laura Cipullo, RD, CDE, CEDRD, Mom and Bitsy’s RD

*This post was originally posted on the Bitsy’s Brainfood blog.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the idea of family meals surely must be on your mind. For many people, Thanksgiving conjures warm feelings because it’s consistently about meals featuring family members, good friends, and yummy food. Are these the same thoughts that come to mind when thinking about family meals? Are you even able to have family meals especially during the regular work/school week? Most people now know that family meals are not only beneficial but also very much encouraged by the experts. How does this translate to your daily life? What does the latest research recommend? How should you, as parents and food consumers, interpret this information?

Photo Credit: Lawrence OP via Compfight cc

Nutrition

Fortunately, there has been quite a bit of research of late. Some of the most noteworthy include Project EAT (I-III), Purdue University’s Family Meals Spell SUCCESS, and studies coming from research by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA). We surely know that family meals can be difficult to arrange—especially with working parents, kids’ afterschool activities, strained family relationships, and possibly even the aversion to foods served at family meals. But the statistics drawn from multiple studies via Project EAT have found that adolescents sharing family meals had higher intakes of fruits and vegetables, plus the mineral calcium, while drinking less soda. In addition, the more frequently the family meals occurred during adolescence, the more likely these individuals later would have shared household meals as young adults. Family meals were also linked to higher academic performance, greater emotional wellbeing and a reduced risk of using unhealthy behaviors for weight control1.

Overall Well Being

According to CASA surveys:

  • Teens who eat dinner with their parents twice a week or less are four times more likely to smoke cigarettes, three times more likely to smoke marijuana, and nearly twice as likely to drink as those who eat dinner with their parents six or seven times a week2.
  • Teens who eat frequent family dinners are also less likely than other teens to have sex at young ages and get into fights; are at lower risk for thoughts of suicide; and are likelier to do better in school. This is true regardless of a teen’s gender, family structure, or family socioeconomic level2.
  • Teens who have frequent family dinners are more likely to be emotionally content, work hard at school, and have positive peer relationships, not to mention healthier eating habits2.

 

Academics

Family Meals spell SUCCESS further supports these results. A study by Dr. Catherine Snow at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education notes that conversations occurring around the family table teach children more vocabulary and forms of discourse than they learn when you read to them2.

A Reader’s Digest survey revealed  – a teen eating meals with their family was a stronger predictor of academic success than whether they lived with one or both parents. Research by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) and others has found a striking relationship between frequency of family meals and grades2.

 

Mental Well Being

When family meal research is further analyzed, the most evident benefit of family meals is decreased depressive symptoms3.

Ultimately, we need more information on the actual frequency of meals, the length of each meal, who is present at the meals, and/or if the research is simply correlated with having frequent meals or truly a direct outcome of family meals. Is it possible that people who engage in family meals have specific characteristics that are different from those in families who do not engage in family meals? The answer is yes. More long-term research identifying the above details is needed3.

Photo Credit: cafemama via Compfight cc

Putting Family Meals In Practice

But what we do know? It’s estimated that three or more family meals, consistent family meals (i.e.: every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), mealtimes with positive interactions and no TV are favorable…and most likely lead to the most beneficial outcomes for children3. So do your best to get some type of meal on the table and enjoy the time with your family. If one shared meal is possible, start here but make it weekly and don’t forget to turn off the TV and your iPhone!! Here at Bitsy’s we don’t strive for perfection, but we do strive for family time and healthier food for all families.

Are sharing family meals reasonable and achievable in your household? As working moms, we know this is incredibly challenging. Can you share your suggestions with the  readers?

 

References:

  1. “Epidemiology & Community Health Research.” Epidemiology Community Health Research. University of Minnesota, 2013. Web. 06 Nov. 2013.
  2. “Family Meals Spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S.” Purdue University Center for Families’ Promoting Family Meals Project. Purdue University, n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2013.
  3. Cook, Eliza, and Rachel Dunifon. “Do Family Meals Really Make a Difference?”Parenting in Context. Cornell University College of Human Ecology, 2012. Web. 2013.

 

*This post was originally posted on the Bitsy’s Brainfood blog.

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Helping Your Kids Create a Healthy Relationship with Food

*This post was originally published on the Bitsy’s Brainfood Blog. To see the original please click here.

Nutrition Comes in All Forms AND the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Agrees!
By Laura Cipullo, RD, CDE, CEDRD and Mom

Photo Credit: Arya Ziai via Compfight cc

Sugar has definitely received a bad rap this past year. Its poor reputation is very similar to the negative press that fat received in years past. Research is constant and correlations are often made—while causation is rarely determined. As mothers and fathers, how does this affect they way you feed your child? Do you go with the latest diet trend? Do you impose your food beliefs on your children? If so, how are you talking with your children about these beliefs? Remember, when all is said and done, these are just beliefs—not necessarily black and white facts.

With this is mind, remember all food provides nutrition—even Skittles and saturated fats (i.e. coconut oil). However, I am not implying you should feed your kids a diet of sugar and saturated fats. Rather, I am suggesting that as parents, we must watch our wording and behaviors associated with various foods. Our children are smart and pick up on our food issues. Yet most children—like many adults—are not (yet) capable of separating food and feelings or such strong statements into rational thoughts.

Photo Credit: Special via Compfight cc

Many RDs and parents want to scream, “Corn syrup is bad!” but telling your child this may be more harmful than helpful. I am trying to write this as delicately as possible, but think about it: Does a pack of candy or a bread made with corn syrup versus rice syrup really matter? No. Yet many moms label these as “bad.” As a mother of two boys, I do not completely negate these foods and constantly prefer that my boys eat more wholesome foods. As parents we must walk a very fine line in how we convey healthy habits to children. We may use different educational tools to discuss nutrient density, food processing, and overall diet quality, but it is also our job to prevent children from fearing their food, fearing weight gain, and fearing feeding themselves.

Instilling fear of food and feeding in a child can even be one of the contributors to the feeding disorder known as “Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder” (ARFID,) especially if a child is already prone to anxiety or is a picky eater.

You can be the mom that hands your children M&M’s some of the time. Know that sugar candy is converted to exactly that, sugar in the body. The brain only uses sugar; our muscles store sugar for easy access during long bouts of exercise (playing a long soccer game, playing outside all day long, or swimming in the pool for many hours as kids are wont to do).  While not an ideal food for growth, sugar still provides energy. Take into consideration that when we don’t make a big deal about these sugary foods, kids will be less likely to ask for them in the first place.

– See more at the Bitsy’s Brainfood Blog

 

References:

Stein, K. Severely restricted diets in the absence of medical necessity: the unintended consequences. J Am Diet Assoc. 2014;114(7):986-994.

 

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Looking for Lunch Ideas?

Back-to-School Loveable Lunch Ideas
By Laura Cipullo, RD, CDE, CEDRD and Mom

When meal prepping, be sure to include a carbohydrate, a protein, and a fat at lunch time (or any meal time) to help ensure that your child is adequately fed, evenly energized throughout the day, and without a blood sugar roller coaster. Combining macronutrients is KEY especially if you have a child who is easily distracted, acts out in class, or comes home wiped out.

Photo Credit: Wendy Copley via Compfight cc

Here are some suggestions to get the first week of school off on the right foot.


Monday Lunch

Pasta/bean salad with cubed chicken sausage

Side: mandarin oranges; milk

Tuesday Lunch

Whole wheat quesadilla with pineapple salsa and red peppers

Side: Mango and yogurt

Wednesday Lunch

Lentil soup with corn muffin

Side: Carrots and pretzels with hummus; milk

 

Thursday Lunch

Teriyaki chicken satay with edamame and sticky rice (or rice crackers)

Side: Bitsy’s Brainfood Cookies (zucchini gingerbread carrot flavor is my favorite!)

 

Friday Lunch

Apple and cheese sandwich (can get fancier with different types of cheese like brie or goat cheese)

Side: Olives (one for each finger) and yogurt squeezer

 

– See more at: http://bitsysbrainfood.com/blog/#sthash.9QU75bpn.dpuf

 

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Back-To-School Pancakes

We love to make pancakes for breakfast on the weekends at our house. The kids each have their roles in the preparation and we all get to sit down and enjoy a leisurely breakfast together. One thing I love to do is make large batches at one time and save them for the week! All you need is a zip-top bag or a food container and you’ve got weekday breakfasts at the ready. Check out this video of my son and his friend helping me with a fun pancake recipe.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9bhLOgtvOY]

What is your favorite pancake recipe or topping? Let us know in the comments below!
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Get your kids cooking in the kitchen!

Get your kids cooking in the kitchen!
By Laura Cipullo, RD CDE CEDRD CDN and Mom

To honor National Nutrition Month we wanted to focus on helping children foster a positive relationship with food. A great way to do that is by getting kids active in the cooking process. Even if its making sometimes foods like baking cookies or, in this case, making pancakes! Here’s a cute video we made with the kids:

 

Buttermilk Pancakes
Recipe makes about 12 pancakes, depending on size.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large egg
  • 2.5 cups low-fat buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • maple syrup for serving

Directions:

  1. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beginning with the eggs, followed by the buttermilk, butter, and whisk until combined. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk until the flour is incorporated.
  2. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, add a little butter or cooking spray to the pan. Spoon about 1/2 cup of batter into heated pan and cook about 2 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.
  3. Serve with optional warm butter, maple syrup, and/or fruit.

 

 

– See more at: Bitsy’s Brainfood

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Cookie Comparison: Which Cookie Should You Feed Your Children? & Giveaway!


 

Check out Laura’s review of four popular cookie brands to find a great, kid-friendly cookie!
Click the photo above or here to view.

While we’re talking about feeding our children, we have a fun giveaway to share with our readers! We’re giving away an adorable Planet Box Shuttle Lunch Box, perfect for school and on-the-go lunches. You can learn more about this great product by clicking here.

To Enter:

  1. You must be a subscriber of Mom Dishes It Out (which can be done by entering your email address on the top of our homepage).
  2. Comment on this post.
  3. Like us on Facebook and/or tweet us with #MDIOGiveaway in the message.

Entries will be accepted until next week, Wednesday October 30th!
Good Luck!

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Healthy Halloween Giveaway!


Wholesome Haunted Halloween Contest 

Spend no money this Halloween!

Bitsy’s Brainfood and Mom Dishes It Out are joining forces this Fall.

We will supply 3 lucky winners with Bitsy’s Brainfood Cookies to share with your Halloween Trick or Treaters!

Send us your best idea for a wholesome haunted Halloween without candy. For ideas, see how Mom Dishes It Out celebrates!

 

To enter, you must do all of the following. Good luck!

 

Winners will be announced on Wednesday October 23rd, 2013.