It’s National Eat Better, Eat Together Month every October

This holiday encourages families to gather around the table to enjoy one healthy meal together. In this blog, you’ll learn how to blend up the right ingredients to celebrate!

Together, schedule one meal a day

Think of this month as an opportunity to challenge the whole family to eat better together. This means joining at the table for at least one meal a day! From setting up to clean up, sharing a meal provides an opportunity for members to come together to strengthen ties and build better bonds. Every member will feel a sense of belonging, which creates better self-esteem.

When it comes to mealtime, parents should offer real-life advice to their children. It’s essential to set an example of what a healthy lifestyle looks like for their children. Children will follow their parents’ lead learning healthy eating habits, polite table manners, and grow in their communication skills. We know this may sound all ‘biscuits and gravy,’ but you may be thinking your family’s busy schedules will hinder your chances. After all, autumn means school is settling into session, and after-school practices are ramping up. The holiday season is right around the corner. However, throwing in the towel on family dinner by cooking processed junk food should be taken out of your ingredient list! Here’s why it matters:

Eating Healthy Matters suggests active children and young people whose eating is well-balanced tend to:

• Have a healthy body weight
• Feel good / confidence boost
• Have plenty of energy to be active
• Have stronger muscles and bones
• Enjoy better physical and mental health

Kids that are malnourished are hungry may be:

• Moody, aggressive and irritable
• Unable to focus
• Cannot multitask
• Behave poorly
• Have less energy
• Tend to be uninterested in learning and do poorly at school
• Be at higher risk for obesity, high blood pressure, depression, and being overweight

Who has time to make healthy meals? You (with a little help!)

It might seem impossible to get the whole family together with so much chaos. However, it’s essential to take a good hard look at your family’s schedule. Band together to make healthy choices. Pick a night to gather around and plan. We know this already sounds exhausting! That’s why we’ve put together some ‘easy-bake ideas for when certain days do not look promising. Try these alternatives:

• Meal prep. Organize make-ahead-menus, create a shopping list, and head to the grocery store. Spend the afternoon making some of these meals to prepare for a busy week ahead.
• No-cook night. Skip the dishes with raw foods. Toss together some raw veggies, lettuce, and chickpeas for a fun, flavorful salad. Stack bread, fresh veggies, cream cheese, and turkey together for the Ultimate Veggie Sandwich. Also, Delish offers several no-cook meals that come together in a flash!
• Simplify with a Breakfast Supper. Breakfast can be one of the most leisurely meals to make. Why not fry up a Denver Omelet in the evening? Grab some oatmeal or flip some pancakes.
• Farmhouse Delivery. This grocery store brings the farm right to your door. Farmhouse Delivery offers home or offer deliveries of fresh groceries,  produce and rancher boxes (best meats), and even meal kit delivery. Enjoy delivery, meat, dairy, eggs, and artisan products to customers – sourced locally. The produce is grown exclusively on local farms, and even developed some of it. Let Farmhouse Delivery make your meal tonight. We HIGHLY recommend their veggie-packed panini!
• Fast Fueled By Love. If you need quick, healthy options, this is the company for you. The meals are prepared fresh weekly with only lean meats and fish used. There are vegan options available, and every meal is full of healthy macronutrients. We love the Quinoa Stuffed Peppers and Coconut-Lime Tofu with Buckwheat Noodles.
• Taste Maker Meals. They believe that you should enjoy easy and tasty meals without having to shop, cook, or clean. Meals are affordably priced, pack delicious (and nutritious) flavors, and put together by experienced chefs and nutritionists. As they say, “Let’s Eat!”
• Sanctuary Holistic Kitchen. Classes, natural remedies, and more. Explore SHK’s menu for some curbside favorites. She crafts ‘Grab & Go’s that make the “perfect small meal, all perfectly packaged and nutritionally balanced.” All ingredients are sourced organic, sourced locally, and free-range. Please read more about why we LOVE Sanctuary Holistic Kitchen.

From setting up to clean up, sharing a meal provides an opportunity for family members to come together to build better bonds and improve overall health. Eating together doesn’t mean daily home-cooked meals. The time it takes to prepare the meal is not essential. However, well-spent time is showing children healthy options, spending quality time to build relationships, and modeling critical life skills.

Willco Wellness Dinner Challenge:

This month we challenge our very own ‘Wilco Wellness Family Members’ to share a photo of you and your family eating a special meal together. We love when our ‘family’ participates, but understand you are busy, busy bees! Please feel free to share every day of October or once or twice.

Tag: #WilcoWellnessEatBetterEatTogetherChallenge