Grand Magazine - September/October 2008 - (Page 45)

School study states childhood obesity risks drop by as much as 15 percent courtesy of a sit-down meal with the family. “At the family dinner table, they should be presented with a variety of foods,” Eschenberg suggests. “They see these foods being accepted by other people in their social circle, and it makes them more likely to be accepting of them.” A study published in 2000 in The Journal of the American Medical Association linked family dinners with an increased intake of fiber, iron, calcium and other vital nutrients among children. The kids who ate and gabbed with the family ate fewer trans and saturated fats, and they were 30 percent less likely to eat at a fastfood chain when they were out of the house. Like CJ taking a bite out of a kielbasa link, children who dine with their loved ones are given the chance to try out new foods in an encouraging environment—one that won’t judge them for their reaction. “Adults provide healthy options, and they model good eating behavior,” explains Barbara Scardefield, a registered dietician who’s worked with both adults and kids during her career in upstate New York. “Kids are more apt to eat what we eat—if you don’t eat it yourself, your kids aren’t going to eat it. “The best option is family-style serving, so they pick what they want to eat and how much they eat,” she continues. “By doing that, we’re not teaching them to ignore their hunger cues. They naturally know how much they want to eat. We just have to make sure they have good options in front of them.” Family dinners can also promote a positive change in a child’s personality—allowing a shy kid like CJ to blossom under the attentive eyes of his grandparents. “They know they’re part of the family unit,” Eisenberg explains. “They’re important somewhere.” Davies doesn’t have that problem. Since her grandsons came to live with her, the retired business owner keeps track of what they’re doing and who they’re doing it with. Davies credits family meals for helping the boys become comfortable in social settings. Grandparents know their grandkids when they eat together, Eisenberg says. They see problems almost before they happen. “It’s always easier to intervene early rather than later,” she says. With family meals, it’s harder for kids to hide—whether it’s the new tongue piercing they can’t eat around in front of the family or the report card you remember was coming due thanks to frequent dinner discussions. As Cody approaches his teen years, Dorothy Davies is happy to report that a good foundation of family dinners has kept the lines of communication open even as hormones start to roil. “Even if Grandpa’s not home, Cody expects to have dinner with everyone else,” she says. And when neither grandparent is around, Cody and his brother have already proven they’re growing into dependable young men—the type whom Davies can count on to set out the napkins and grab the salt and pepper. G More to the story: page 68. Family dinners dramatically decrease a child’s chance of obesity. such as shelled peas, snow and snap peas, zucchini and yellow squash, broccoli flowers, scallions and mushrooms, do well by adding them to the same pan as the meat, fish or poultry you’re sautéing (near the end of cooking time). And one of my tricks is to slip more vegetables into every dinner by placing the hot cooked meat, poultry or fish on a bed of raw spinach, arugula or baby lettuces on the dinner plate. The hot juices from the meats dress, flavor and wilt the greens. Vegetables that cook quickly, flavor: mixtures such as olive oil, garlic, lemon, salt, and black pepper or crushed red chili pepper. Or soy sauce, a little brown sugar and sherry wine (add garlic, ginger and green onion if you’re up for chopping them). Or tomato, in season, mixed with fresh basil, a little red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, olive oil or butter, salt and pepper. Or merely add a little wine to the pan—white, red, sherry, Marsala, Madeira or port (the alcohol burns off)—or apple juice or Kern’s fruit nectars; and reduce ’til a little thickened. Whatever meals and ways we develop with our grandchildren to create our own “community of the table,” we will be giving the gift of memories to all involved that have the power to give our families’ everyday lives comfort and strength for a lifetime. SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2008 GRAND 45 Simple, uncooked sauces and liquids can be added to the pan at the end of cooking time for variety and extra

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Grand Magazine - September/October 2008

Grand Magazine- September/October 2008 Grand View:�Priceless Contents Isn't it Grand?: Picture Perfect Winners!: GRANDparent of the Year Grand Central Toddler Town:�Grand-proofing Ask Grand:�Two Tired Tips on Teens: The Bar Mitzvah Trips Just So We Know:�BPA Not Our BFF Full House-Full Heart-Full Time:�Confessions of a Backyard Grand Grandbloggers: It Takes a Village Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? Family + Food = Fun On the Cover: Nora Roberts A Fine Romance Everything Was Fine Until You Showed Up Happy Big Sister Day Looking Grand:�Elementary, My Dear All in the Family:�Pasta, Present and Future Reunions:�Doubleheader Inspirations:�Grandpa's Violin Grand Bazaar More to the Story Grand Finale:�Long Ago Under the Sun

Grand Magazine - September/October 2008

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