With busy schedules, eating together may not be possible every night but starting a new tradition a few times a week can make a difference!



Here are some tips on how to make family meals happen:

Take time to meal plan ~

Chose nights when everyone in the home can participate. Try theme nights: Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, or you can even have the kids pick a letter from the alphabet and only make foods that start with that letter.

Invite your children to help in the kitchen ~ Involving children in the kitchen builds confidence and lifelong skills. Children will be more likely to try something new if they have a role in preparing it.

Move mealtime to the table ~

Moving mealtime to the table brings the focus back to the food and the people that you are eating with.

Put away the electronics! ~

The benefits of a sit-down meal is to enjoy the company you are eating with. Setting aside our phones and turning off television allows time to focus on eat other. It opens up lines of communication with our families.

Teach about healthy portion control and healthy choices ~ Mealtime is a great time to teach children about portion control and making healthy choices. Encourage them to take a single serving of every food, they can always go back for seconds if they are still hungry.



Have realistic meal expectations ~

Find what works for your family and be consitent and Stay positive, this makes mealtime more enjoyable for everyone!

October National Eat Better, Eat Together Month | Horticulture, Landscape, and Environmental Systems | Nebraska (unl.edu)

Start planning with these tips Click here!

Planning Family Meals!

Eating at restaurants and fast-food places can be exciting. It can also be expensive and usually take more time than cooking at home. Meal planning for a family can seem overwhelming. If you plan ahead, it will save time, money, and effort in the long run. Eating at home means you will get more balanced meals, control over the ingredients, more family time, and you’ll save money.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT



Food Access For All!

Improving healthy food choices by connecting families to local farmers and other partnering agencies throughout the North Country region is extremely important to SNAP-Ed. We partner with local food access sites to ensure that healthy options are available throughout our communities, and provide workshops geared towards helping local families lead healthy lives with the skills and knowledge to make healthy choices on a limited budget. This would not be possible without our partnerships with local farmers, healthcare providers, food pantries, farmers markets, schools, etc.

Thank you to all of our wonderful partners who have helped bridge the gap between food access and community members!

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