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A New Family History
Have you ever felt trapped by your family history? Many of us were raised by loving, well-meaning parents, many of whom had very bad health habits. Perhaps our parents smoked cigarettes, followed unhealthy diets, lived with too much stress or...

Andy Griffith Show Family Lessons
Although it might seem pretty corny to a lot of folks today, the old Andy Griffith Show really did have a lot of common sense family values that we could learn from today. Take for instance the episode "Bailey's Bad Boy" that guest...

Does Your Family Know How to be Safe on the Internet?
A USA Today article that ran in July 2005 cited findings from a survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. They found that during the school year, kids between the ages of 8 and 10 years old spent an average of 6 hours per day watching...

Halloween Family Tips and Advice
Adults, parents and their children cherish Halloween so much that some of them even devote their energy a couple months in advance just to make sure they get the most popular costumes, and to organize the best parties. Halloween is set in the...

Start Growing Healthy Children Before Getting Pregnant
When I was in my early 20’s, I read Adele Davis’s book, "Let’s Eat Right To Keep fit." I learned from her that "you are what you eat." I also learned that our babies are what we eat while we are pregnant, and then are what they eat once they are...

 
The Family Meal

The family meal has suffered in the changing family environment. Moms and Dads are both working and a large portion of homes are single parent homes. This disturbing trend may be a joy to take-out restaurants but it has detrimental effects to the family and children.
Studies have shown that childhood obesity, drug use, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking are lower in children who eat dinner with the family.
It can be hard to fit in a home cooked meal when schedules get busy. The children have busy schedules with sports and friends and parents are working longer hours. There are a few things that can be done to assist in making family meals easier to accomplish.
First pull out that old crock pot. It can be used for the old stand by such as pot roast but it can also be used for crock pot lasagna or macaroni and cheese.
Go for the take out and bring it home. Stop into your family's


favorite restaurant and order dinner to go. Then when you get home remove the food from the carry out boxes and serve on your own plates. Sit down to a cooked nutritious meal that is served at the dinner table on your own plates.
Finally when the family is truly busy order a pizza, wings and dinner salad. Then bring this into the house and sit at the table to eat. This is a new twist but it is much better for the family to eat at the table than in front of the TV.
About the Author
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet meal plans. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. http://www.gourmayeats.com