Taking It Easy At Mealtimes
Healthy Eating
Family mealtimes are an opportunity to laugh together, bond and share experiences.
They are very important to a child's psychological and social development, not to mention the digestive benefits to everyone of taking time over a meal and savouring food.
Fast And Furious
Eating too quickly can create acid indigestion, and if done consistently over a long period of time, there is a higher risk of developing painful stomach ulcers. Mealtimes should be seen as 'time out', not as a race to see who can finish first. It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to register that it is full so the chances of over-eating when rushing through your meal are higher, leading to further indigestion.
Families that eat together, eat better. That's the message of Back To The Table. For children, the preparation and serving of food signifies nurturing and giving, while healthy face-to-face interaction with adults at the dinner table helps to develop language and social skills.
Time To Talk
Mealtime is the perfect time to discuss the day's events. Mealtime conversation creates the ideal opportunity for children to ask questions, and it's a great way to find out how they are getting on at school. It is also a good time to introduce topical issues and current affairs to encourage kids to take an interest in the environment around them.
The healthiest way to accompany any meal is with some freshly filtered water, as other drinks interfere with salivary/digestive enzymes.
