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In today’s busy world, sharing a meal as a family doesn’t happen without proper planning. However, the benefits of this time-honored tradition make it worth the effort to establish positive mealtime habits.

According to Carol Connell of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, family meals provide opportunities for language and social skill development, among other positives.

“Studies have shown that children who have meals together with their family three to five days per week have more nutritious diets, are less likely to be overweight, are less likely to develop disordered eating and eat better as they become independent young adults,” said Connell, who is a human nutrition, diet and health specialist with Alabama Extension at Auburn University.

Silvia Vilches, a family and child development specialist with Alabama Extension at Auburn University, said even dietary guidelines suggest sharing meals with family.

“Being together makes you eat more appropriately and take pauses,” Vilches said. “You eat and then pause for conversation or to laugh. It’s a slower style and helps you get full faster. Eating isn’t the only focus.”

Connell and Vilches offered the following tips for developing positive mealtime habits.

Setting Mealtimes

Having set mealtimes is ideal, but life happens. That makes proper planning important.

“Use downtime to prepare meals that can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer and then reheated quickly,” Connell said. “Keep precut vegetables in the fridge for quick snacks. Turn a bagged salad into a healthy meal by topping it with grated cheese, boiled eggs, toasted nuts, dried fruit, cherry tomatoes and a vinaigrette or dressing.”

Vilches suggested placing a calendar of family events in a place everyone can see.

“If there’s a night where you have children at different sporting events, then plan to have an easy handheld meal or a simple soup or chili,” Vilches said. “At the end of the day, if an evening meal isn’t possible, you still should schedule time to gather and debrief once everyone is back at the house. Share a bowl of popcorn or maybe even an ice cream snack every once in a while.”

Remember, having set mealtimes is a chance for a family to interact with each other, free from distractions. Cell phones, tablets and television all have their place, but Connell said it’s not at the dinner table.

“Eating without distractions allows you to enjoy your food and the company,” Connell said.

Better Food Habits

It can be easy to categorize foods as good or bad options, but Connell advised against this.

“If foods are labeled as forbidden or bad, a child could be more interested in that food and tempted to overindulge when they do have it,” Connell said. “Remember, all foods can fit in a healthy, age-appropriate diet in moderation.”

Also, requiring children to clean their plates should be a thing of the past. Instead, Connell suggested instilling more positive behaviors.

“Let children learn to listen to their internal hunger cues,” Connell said. “Start with small portions. They can always ask for seconds if they are still hungry.”

Introducing new foods to children can be tricky but could start with a portion size as small as one bite. Connell said people should not force or coerce a toddler to eat a new food.

“Allow for what is called sensory exploration, where the child can smell and touch it,” Connell said. “Research suggests a child may need to be exposed to a new food 10 to 15 times over several months before accepting it.”

For children to learn positive mealtime habits, adults in the family must serve as good role models. Vilches said meals are a great time for children to observe others eating a variety of foods.

“If you’re setting the example, you won’t have to tell a child to try one of each item,” Vilches said. “They will see what you’re doing and copy it.”

Age-Appropriate Reminders and Tasks

Establishing positive mealtime habits can start as early as infancy. Plus, giving children responsibilities for the meal helps them feel more involved.

“Children are prewired to want to help,” Vilches said. “When they get to participate, their confidence increases.”

Vilches and Connell offered the following age-based advice for mealtime habits and tasks.

Infants

• For teething infants, serve frozen fruit, such as bananas, mangoes or blueberries.
• Do not give infants any added salt. They do not need condiments because their flavor sense is already acute.
• Keep infants hydrated, especially during Alabama summers. Do not give them drinks with added sugar.

Toddlers

• While parents are responsible for what, when and where to eat, allow toddlers to choose whether or not to eat the item and how much.
• Ensure they are not preeating too much before meals. If toddlers are hungry before meals, offer liquids with no added sugars, but be prepared for growth spurts when hunger is real.
• Serve meals with a variety of new foods; set an example by trying those foods.

Preschoolers to Preteens

• Allow them to help set the table.
• Give them experience pouring and carrying drinks to the table.
• Teach them how to serve themselves and give others servings that are appropriate for their ages.
• Encourage children to help younger siblings.
• Ask for their help in cleaning up and storing leftovers to help build a team spirit.

Preteens

• Help older children take responsibility for planning and preparing after school snacks.
• Teach them about measuring portions and ingredients for recipes, which is good practice with math.
• Encourage creativity, such as allowing them to decorate the table for holidays or special events.

Teenagers

• Ask youth to preplan their own after-school snacks with a reasonable budget for the family.
• As youth hit growth spurts, be prepared with more options for healthy late-night snacks.
• Teach them how to cook and plan whole or parts of meals for the family.
• Make meals together that can be refrigerated or frozen and easily reheated in a microwave. This is especially helpful during vacations from school.
• Keep healthy sandwich options and sides on hand, including whole-grain breads, lower sodium proteins, presliced cheese, crispy vegetables and precut apples.

Stay Committed

While developing positive mealtime habits won’t happen overnight, consistency is key to instilling lifelong lessons.

“It’s all about being human. Don’t set impossible goals but know that having a meal together is a special thing,” Vilches said. “If you can do it, it’s a great thing to do regularly.”