Family dinners allow parents to:
- show model behaviour;
- transmit cultural traditions;
- and engage in activities that promote literacy, learning, and healthy behaviour.
- Wow that's an impressive list of positivity, no wonder we feel pressured to have dinner together!
Here are 5 strategies that allow you to build a routine of regular family dinners in no time.
5 simple strategies for regular family dinners
1. Ask and accept help
- Think about the grandparents who would welcome a little extra time with you: ask them to organise one weekly meal
- Arrange a Dinner Swap with the neighbours: Today we eat at ours, tomorrow at yours.
- Answer YES when people ask: "I'm going to the shops, can I get you anything?"
- And of course get the kids involved wherever possible: have them set the table, help with the cooking, put their plates in the dishwasher or do the dishes.
Whatever you do, don't be too shy to ask.
2. Pick one day a week that you dedicate to your regular family dinner
Start by allocating just one evening. You're going to make this a regular event, so pick a day that's convenient for you. Also, it doesn’t have to be hours either, the average family dinner lasts 20 minutes only. Remember, it has to be practical and work for your family, any day will do!
3. Start batch cooking and freeze your family meals
In case you're not familiar with this concept, it means you cook larger portions of food, so you can store the excess in batches for later use (either in the fridge or freezer).
The big win here is timing. Batch cooking allows you to divert cooking times from your hectic schedule and to a more relaxed hour. For example the weekend when you're not pressed for time, or late in the evening when the kids are asleep and you're watching your favourite show with a well-deserved glass of wine.
So how does it work? Simply double or triple your ingredients, store it in airtight containers and freeze them. Then, on those busy days when your stress-levels are through the roof, just defrost and heat a batch and sit down for your healthy family dinner.
4. Choose easy family meals you can whip up in seconds
Healthy and delicious meals don't necessary have to take a lot of time.
Try one of these quick and easy family meals:
5. Plan your weekly meals shop in bulk
Meal planning is more powerful than you can imagine:
- It allows you to shop in bulk, hence saving time and money.
- It takes away the mental pressure of deciding what to cook tonight.
- Last but not least, it reduces food waste, since you only buy the specific ingredients you need.
Ready for regular family dinners?
There you have it.
5 easy-to-implement strategies that get you to regular family dinners in no time.
Imagine: you come home from work and grab your planned meal from the fridge. The kids are setting the table, while you cook up a healthy meal in minutes. You sit down at the table feeling relaxed. You look around the table: happy faces, good conversation and delicious food.
All you have to do, is pick one or two strategies that fit your family and get started.
And stick with it, because it gets better with practice; a study on family eating patterns showed that the more often a family eats together, the better the experience is likely to be, the healthier the food and the more rewarding the talk.
And before you know it, you'll be well on your way to 5 weekly family dinners!