Family Meals to Save Money
August 27, 2009 by Jennifer Chait
Filed under Health & Wellness, Kid Stuff, food
With school starting, family meals can get pretty tough to follow through on BUT it’s a good idea to eat as a family, even when you’re crazy busy for many reasons, including saving money. Why?
- The family that eats together eats the same thing, thus saves money. It’s more expensive to cook a million different things.
- The family that eats together avoids higher medical bills – kids who don’t eat with their family have more negative weight issues and eat less healthy foods and being unfit can cost you.
- The family that eats together avoids therapy bills. Studies show that kids who eat family meals are better adjusted than kids who don’t.
How to make it happen:
Just do it – if you have time for TV, extra shopping, golf, kids in sports, reading a magazine, coloring your hair, or other extra curricular activities then you have time for a family meal. Don’t make excuses.
Eat breakfast – technically I think breakfast and dinner together is manageable, but maybe your family can only handle one meal a day. That’s cool. Reconnecting doesn’t just have to happen at dinner.
Focus on table time not eating: If you have young children, or a partner who gets home later everyone can still take the time to sit together. If the kids eat at 5 and the adults eat at 8, give the kids dessert, a coloring book, or a puzzle, and have them attend the adult dinner. Connecting is this big a deal.
Aim for healthy but fast – the food is less important that the time. Get healthy take out two nights a week if you have or cook healthy and faster.
Check out the following for fast recipes:
See the Family Table for more tips.
[image via stock.xchng]
