“One cannot think well, love well, sleep
well, if one has not dined well.”
—VirginiaWoolf
For a list of easy, healthy dinners
your whole family will enjoy, visit
peacehealth.org/healthy-you .What’s for dinner?
WHETHER YOUR FAMILY
is made up
of parents and kids, dozens of distant cousins, or a
cadre of close friends, it is likely that you’ve spent
much time during the holiday season with everyone
around your dinner table.
As we kick off the new year, we’d like to encourage
you to continue that trend. But now, instead of
setting a table full of heavy sugar- and fat-laden
dishes, take the opportunity to lighten up with
hearty, nutritious fare.
Research has shown that eating dinner together
as a family—no matter who is included in your
family—has multiple benefits. When you eat
together regularly, more than three nights a week,
some amazing things happen:
Grades improve.
Children who eat with their
parents five or more times a week show better
academic performance. They also have less trouble
with drugs, alcohol, and skipping school.
Nutrition skyrockets.
Eating together at
home improves your nutrition. The most accessible
alternatives to home-cooked food—inexpensive fast
food and takeout—are generally loaded with fat, salt,
and empty calories. Cooking and eating even the
simplest of meals at home and controlling portion
sizes can help your whole family be healthier.
Stress disappears.
Sharing a meal gives you an
excuse to slow down and connect with your loved
ones at the end of the day. One study even showed
that family mealtime helped working moms reduce
their stress from long hours on the job.
PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center
PeaceHealth Medical Group
PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center Foundation
Winter 2016