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The Benefits of Family Dinner Time

Having dinner on the table early doesn't have to mean ending your day early. Sarah finds that preplanning dinner makes it easier and more likely that you'll feed your kids a home-cooked meal rather than one that's fresh out of the plastic.

If you have time on the weekends, she suggests making larger portions of turkey chili, roasted chicken, various soups and casseroles such as lasagna. "Lean proteins and complex carbohydrates with lots of fruits and vegetables—those are the building blocks of growing bodies, so those are the things that will help our kids perform the best," Sarah says.

Dr. Lippitt also recommends not grabbing dinner on the run. By sitting down to a meal, your kids are much more likely to eat proper portions and, as an added bonus, keep you informed of their lives. "As a parent, you find out about school, about what test your child had," Dr. Lippitt says. "It's better than having them plugged into an iPod in the backseat when you drive through McDonald's."
As a reminder, always consult your doctor for medical advice and treatment before starting any program.

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