Why should we teach children to cook at home and eat as a family

Children who eat as a family are less inclined towards alcohol, tobacco, or drug use

. Unfortunately, the lack of time in a busy adult life poses one of the difficulties most affecting the negative change in eating habits in America. However, cooking at home and eating as a family are traditions that we should not lose for many reasons.

The importance of cooking at home

Eat and cook as a family

The benefits of homemade food are known to everyone, but it is worth noting that we take a moment to think about it, that is, food prepared at home is, as a rule, healthier and nutritious, as well as a lot cheaper.

In addition, by cooking at home, we expose our children to the family traditions of our family nucleus, where not all homes eat or cook dishes the same way. On the other hand, when cooking at home, we choose the foods that we want to include in our children’s diet, as well as choose how they are cooked.

Finally, in children who eat regularly as a family, according to statistics, trends in healthy intakes are observed. These children tend to choose fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates over industrial pretzels or salty snacks.

Benefits of taking time to cook as a family

Cooking together from childhood has an incredible impact on children’s attitudes towards food:

Cooking together is never boring, quite the contrary, although it can be slower and more complicated. Depending on the age of the child, washing or chopping vegetables can be a perfect job, as well as being able to help with meatballs or croquettes, they love to get their hands dirty!

For children with poor eating, participating in menu making, shopping, or cooking can increase the appeal of foods they had no intention of trying before.

Having time to cook as well as having to plan in advance to develop traditional menus is not easy, but if we go back to the roots of the Mediterranean diet, complete, balanced and full of fresh and seasonal foods, we will raise awareness among children of the importance of maintaining eating habits sound that persists into adulthood.

Eating as a family, fun time for everyone

eat as a family

And we talked a lot about the importance of cooking as a family, but what about eating as a family so delicious that we made it in the kitchen? What does that mean for family ties? Eating together, the whole family sitting at the table, is a fun time for parents and children:

– With the onset of complementary feeding, eating as a family allows the child to monitor chewing movements, as well as teach him how to use cutlery. Although it may be implausible, the fact that watching a parent – or sibling of course – consume the same foods in front of them also shows him to distinguish between what is safe to eat and what is not.

Eating together is an example. In addition to teaching children good table manners, eating together allows a child to observe and imitate adult attitudes towards different foods, so don’t put strange faces on the table!

Eating together, especially as children get older, is an ideal opportunity to enjoy family time, share daily activities, and feed and facilitate communication between parents and children.

– According to the social studies that have been done, these connection bonds that are reinforced at mealtime are vital in adolescence. Statistically, teens who eat and eat regularly as a family are less inclined toward consuming alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, as well as healthier eating habits than those who don’t eat as a family.

– It allows you to include family activities in your daily routines, such as a football game or a movie. Also, for a child who is accustomed to eating dinner as a family, it is not difficult to understand that we should eat a little later if Dad does not come from work and we will not have to resort to unhealthy snacks.

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