OH! Magazine - Australian Version June 2017 | Page 9

( Nutrition )
ASHLEIGH
FELTHAM
THE FAMILY WHO
DINES TOGETHER...
Ashleigh Feltham explains the importance of eating as a family.
hould you bother eating as a
family? Sometimes it probably
feels like it’s enough, just to get the meal
into your kids any way you can! But what
you may not realise is that the way your
family eats its meals can influence your
children’s short and long term health.
S
Much research has shown that eating
around a table as a family has a positive
influence on the health of your children.
This is because children who eat meals as
a family – compared to those who do not
– have been shown to eat less sugar-laden
drinks and increased amounts of fruit,
vegetables, foods high in calcium or dairy,
and foods containing iron and fibre.
Studies have found that children who eat
as a family have been less likely to be
overweight or obese; less likely to suffer
from eating disorders, especially girls;
less likely to take drugs, smoke or drink;
and less likely to attempt suicide.
So, as a parent or carer, what can you do?
1. Commit to having dinner as a family, at
least once a week – aim for daily but, at
minimum, make it a weekly event. Make
sure you switch off mobile phones, turn
off the TV and put away any distractions.
2. Try eating breakfast as a family, even if
you’re a single parent or carer. Organising
this may mean waking up ten minutes
earlier but the long term health benefits
are worth the effort.
3. Discuss with your children the choices
available for breakfast. This can be a
great time to educate your children of why
certain foods may be better choices.
4. Cook meals with your children; get
them involved in all the parts of making a
meal. You will be teaching and
encouraging them to cook for themselves
as adults, which is a skill that is being lost
in the 21st century.
5. Give different members of the family
different roles in the meal (e.g.
preparation, cooking, setting the table,
cleaning up).
6. At the start of the week discuss as a
family, the dinner meal or meals that will
be eaten together. This promotes healthy
discussion around food and allows you as
a parent to introduce your children to
different cookbooks or online resources.
You may even learn new ways to prepare
and cook.
7. Remember, you are a role model, so if
you only drink soft drinks at meal times
then you cannot expect your children to
select milk or water. By looking after your
health and choosing a diet that allows you
to be the healthiest version of yourself,
you are also assisting your children by
setting a healthy example.
The key to success is to work together as
a family. It is not solely the parent or
YOU CAN CONTACT ASHLEIGH VIA:
Web: feedyourfuturedietetics.com
Facebook: FeedYourFutureDietetics
Instagram: @feedyourfuturedietetics
carer’s role to create a healthy
environment. Working together and
involving the children will help ensure
everyone in the family lives the healthiest
life they can.
References
1. Veugelers PJ, Fitzgerald AL.
‘Prevalence of and risk factors for
childhood overweight and obesity’.
CMAJ. 2005 [cited 2011 Dec
27];173(6):607-13. Abstract available
from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pubmed/16157724
2. Neumark-Sztainer D, Hannan PJ,
Story M, Croll J, Perry C. ‘Family meal
patterns: associations with
sociodemographic characteristics and
improved dietary intake among
adolescents’. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003
[cited 2011 Dec 27];103(3):317-22.
Abstract available from www.ncbi.nlm.
nih.gov/pubmed/12616252
3. Larson A, Nelson M, Neumark-
Sztainer D, Story M, Hannan PJ. ‘Making
time for meals: meal structure and
associations with dietary intake in young
adults’. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 [cited
2011 Dec 27]:109(1):72-9. Abstract
available from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pubmed/19103325
OH! MAGAZINE ( JUNE 2017 )
9