“Dining In” for Healthy Families
With
the high rate of obesity in this country, especially among children, family and
consumer sciences (FCS) professionals are calling attention to something simple
families can do to be healthier—prepare and eat a nutritious meal together.
“Dining
In” for Healthy Families is the theme of Family & Consumer Sciences Day, a
national celebration on December 3, 2014.
“By
making meal time a family time you can improve family relationships, save
money, and increase your family’s consumption of healthy foods,” said Nora
Rhoades, Family and Youth Development Agent in K-State Research and Extension’s
Post Rock District. “Literacy skills and school performance improves when kids
and teens dine in with their family on a regular basis.”
The
American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) shares these tips
for dining in:
·
Make
family meals a priority and agree upon a schedule.
·
Try
to have regular family meals two to three times per week.
·
If
dinnertime doesn't work, have family breakfasts or snacks.
·
Keep
meals simple. Slow cookers save time in the evening!
·
Double
recipes and freeze food for a second meal.
·
Set
aside 30 minutes on the weekend for meal planning.
·
Make
family meals fun and include children in food preparation.
·
Discuss
neutral or positive topics at the table.
·
Eliminate
distractions like TV and cell phones.
·
Eat
slowly, and enjoy your time as a family!
Celebrate Family
and Consumer Sciences Day on December 3rd
Commit
to “Dining In” at http://www.aafcs.org/FCSday/.
You can make a commitment for yourself and your family or on behalf of a class
or community group.
If
you don’t want to make a commitment, but still want to celebrate “Dining In”
take a picture of your family at meal time or share a favorite nutritious
recipe with a friend or loved one. If you share something on social media use
the tag #healthyfamselfie.
Field of Family
& Consumer Sciences
The
career field of family and consumer sciences draws from broad and diverse
disciplines to develop and provide content and programs that help individuals
become more effective critical thinkers and problem solvers. FCS professionals are
located nationwide in a variety of practice settings, including secondary
schools, universities, government agencies, and businesses.
Through
discovery and delivery of research-based knowledge, FCS professionals help
individuals and families develop essential skills to successfully live and work
in a complex world. They are uniquely qualified to speak on many critical
issues affecting individuals and families, such as maintaining a healthy
lifestyle, wisely managing personal and family finances, and creating
supportive relationships with family members, friends, and co-workers.
Source:
http://www.aafcs.org/FCSday/
