Eat together stay healthy together

With busy schedules and technology paramount, it’s just too relaxing to simply pop in front of the television or computer screen, and have your meals! However, the very act of sitting on the dining table and having a meal together as a family has far more benefits and is actually de-stressing for the adults!

Apart from the fact that it’s quality time spent together and a great way to bond, it’s been proven that children who ate frequent meals with their families, eat more fruits and vegetables, got better grades in school, stayed off bad habits like smoking and drinking and were less likely to get depressed!

Tips to make family meals really interesting:

• Start your meal with ‘I am grateful for’
• Share the day’s happenings and failures too. This way your children will realise that problems are a part of life and the focus should be on finding solutions.
• Introduce your family to different cuisines and if time permits, research a little about the cuisine and country and discuss it.
• Discuss a current happening or a film or sports or general knowledge or anything that interests the family.
• Play interactive games like memory, connecting words, antakshari, etc.
• Have a silent meal with soothing music in the background
• Once in a while set up the dining table beautifully, decorate the food nicely and add some candle-light!
• Write a sweet note for each family member and place it on their plates before they arrive!
• Invite a surprise guest!
• Eat blind-folded!
• Cook the meal together!
• Eat in the traditional way – sit on the floor and eat with your hands.