Serves: 5

Dinner:
a family affair

Remember when you were growing up, there was always one house in the neighborhood where all the kids used to hang out? It may have been a house down the block or next door, but it was the place everyone wanted to go. There were fun things to do, yummy snacks on hand, and if you were lucky, an invitation to stay for dinner. And if you were really lucky, it was your house.
If you have a family today, you know how hard it is to get everyone together for a meal. With school, music lessons and sports, dinner with the family can often take a backseat. This book helps you plan family dinners with great recipes and activities that make dinner together more special and more fun for everyone. Best of all, you'll work together to create something special without extra effort.

Dinners for Better Health
It's no secret: Families who eat dinner together eat better. The more parents know about health and nutrition, the more healthful are their children's diets. Studies suggest:
Children: Kids who eat dinner with their families eat more fruits and vegetables and less fat, soda and fried foods. They also get more fiber, vitamins and minerals and tend to eat more healthy even away from home.
Adults: Women who eat out at least five meals a week consume more calories and fat than women who dine at home, eating 2,059 calories versus 1,769 calories per day. They often consume a larger proportion of their calories as fat, 35 versus 31 percent.
Why the difference? The dinner table shapes good eating habits and homemade meals tend to be more wholesome than restaurant or takeout foods. They are usually lower in fat and contain more vitamins and minerals. When families eat together, healthy eating is often a topic of conversation, and the lessons learned can have lasting impact.

Keep Dinner Special
In the kitchen, your family can connect and share the day over a meal. Here are simple ways:
Serve wholesome meals your
family loves. Every family has tried-and-true favorites, but it's fun to
try new recipes when time allows.
A great reason for cooking at home
is to include fruits, vegetables and whole grains-ingredients that are often missing in takeout and restaurant meals.
Get the crew involved. From preparation to cleanup, it's all hands on deck! Whether mixing or sprinkling, setting the table or cleaning up, including the family in meal preparation is a great way for all to feel they've helped make a part of their meal.
Share your day. Take turns sharing the best, most memorable or most important part of the day. Take time to smell the dinner, give thanks and reflect on special moments.
Turn on the conversation. Mealtime is one of the rare times families can catch up with each other, so make every moment count by talking and listening.
Turn off the TV and turn on the answering machine. Don't let interruptions from the telephone, television or doorbell spoil the fun. Give everyone a break from answering the phone by letting the machine do its work.
Be flexible about where you eat. Given family schedules, sitting down at the table may not always be possible. Consider packing a picnic to eat together before sports practice, or plan a meal to eat in the car on the way to music lessons.

Making Dinnertime Family Time
It's a natural: Dinnertime + Family Time = Together Time.
Start by making the dinner itself a simple activity for the whole family, one where everyone can do something to help and feel good in the process. For example, Mom selects the recipes and shops, Dad grills, older kids chop vegetables and younger kids mix. You'll create memories that will not be forgotten.
Whenever possible, involve the kids in food adventures such as a family trip to a farmers' market or roadside stand, and let them each pick out a new fruit or vegetable. You'll help your kids taste new foods and have fun at the same time. Another way to let kids know you appreciate their viewpoint is to let them help plan the week's menu and shop for groceries with you to pick up the dinner ingredients.
Knowing how to cook is an important life skill. Cooking
with Mom or Dad helps instill confidence and a sense of accomplishment. Children can see, taste and share, with pride, the results of their efforts. Having your kids participate in planning and preparing meals is more than just a way to spend time together and get chores done it's also a good way to develop and reinforce skills such as reading, counting, measuring, timing, fine motor coordination and teamwork. Plus, chances are they'll open up and talk about
other things happening in their lives, such as a new friend
in class or a favorite book or sport.
And there are even more benefits. If children are involved with the meal, they'll be more likely to eat what they've helped prepare and to try new foods. Cooking is also an ideal way to introduce and teach children about diverse cultures, new ingredients, nutrition and the value of eating different kinds of foods. Parents play the most important role in helping kids learn how to develop the healthful eating habits that will last a lifetime.
Gather 'Round the Table
Eating together as a family can give everyone a greater appreciation for food, how it's cooked and what it takes to prepare it. Food nourishes and comforts, and just as important, the bonding that happens over a meal nurtures and supports the whole family. For many families, the kitchen is the heart of the home-the place where everyone goes, not just to eat, but also for sharing, learning and growing together. The kitchen and the dinner table are familiar, friendly places where some of the earliest memories and fondest moments have taken place. Many family and neighborhood events and celebrations center around food and become part of the emotional ties that connect generations and even communities.
Experience all the good times and memorable moments that come with cooking dinner and sharing a simple activity with your family. Cooking and eating dinner together is a happy, wholesome way to create homemade fun!

Kids in the Kitchen
While you're busy preparing dinner, let the kids experiment and enjoy
the process of making something to eat. To keep "Is dinner ready yet?" questions to a minimum, entertain younger kids with one of these instant-art projects:
Set-the-Table Place Mats: Offer crayons, markers and place-mat-size paper. Let the kids draw where the plate, cup, glass, fork, knife and spoon go, while they learn how to
set the table.
Create a Bookmark: Cut pictures from used greeting cards and magazines, glue them onto the front and back of a strip of construction paper.
Color a Lunch Bag: Decorate a week or two's supply of white or brown paper lunch bags with markers, crayons, glue sticks, stickers and glitter.
String Colorful Pasta: Make a bracelet or necklace by stringing
colorful hollow pasta onto yarn. Remember to be on hand to tie it when it's ready.
Create a Collage: Use cut-out or torn-out pictures from magazines and used greeting cards to create pictures of a favorite place, a dream room or
a family vacation everyone would like to take.
Write a Story: Staple together several sheets of blank paper. Let the kids write and illustrate, then read their stories after dinner.
Make Your Own Music: Place a square piece of waxed paper over the end of an empty paper-towel tube, and secure it in place with tape or a rubber band. Let the kids hum their favorite tunes into the tube.

More Recipes from the Betty Crocker Easy Family Dinners Cookbook:
Chef Pastry Mix
DINNER A FAMILY AFFAIR
Helpful Nutrition and Cooking Information
INTRODUCTION
Metric Conversion Guide