Enjoying the Family Meal

Family meals are important. You create special bonds and lifelong memories around the family table. Family meals can teach your child about healthful eating. You just need to be a good role model. When you try new foods your child may be more adventurous with food, too. Try these easy ways to make family meals a pleasant part of your family routine:

• Set a regular family mealtime. Regular mealtimes give your child a better chance to reat a variety of foods to get the right amount to grow, stay healthy, and keep a healthy weight.
• Make it simple, make it quick! Spend less time in the kitchen and more time at the family table. Simple meals, even cold sandwiches, taste as good as meals that take more work. You can make any meal special if you all feel relaxed and if mealtime is fille with caring and laughter. Simplify -- to take care of you, too!
• Show that family meals are important. Durig mealtime, turn off the TV. Find another way to see favorite shows. Let the answering machine take your phone calls, too. Have your family make calls before or after the meal hour. Show that same respect for other families when you make phone calls.
• Eat around a table. It's easier to talk and listen to your family when you face each other. Eating sid by at the kitchen counter takes away eye contact.
• Enjoy meal talk. Make easy conversations - no nagging or complaining. Talk so everyone can be a "star" at mealtime. Don't take over. your child will listen and learn by feeling included.
• Be realistic about mealtime. Try to sit down together. Keep meals from lasting too long. If kids get fussy, you family meal won't be fun. Wait until everyone is done to be excused.

Why Eat Together?

Nutrition: Studies show that most people - children, teens, older adults and singles - eat more balanced meals and wider variety of foods when they eat with family and friends.

Family Tradition: Food served at the family table helps shape and give lasting meaning to our cultural heritage. Positive food memories created during childhood are cherished for life.

Communication: Shared mealtimes offer a chance to communicate with neighbors, friends and family; helping to bild a strong spirit of community and commitment to one another.

Culinary Skills: Children learn basic cooking skills and to appreciate a variety of tasty foods when they are involved in mealtim preparation.

I hope that you are enjoying the Dinner Tonight videos and blogs. Remember to sit the family down for the great recipes that you are trying out.

Happy Cooking!! Emily

Italian Tonight!

This week's featured recipe is Beef 'n Cheese Calzone and if a favorite among kids of all ages. The one thing I like about this recipe besides it's good taste, is that it is so versatile. You can fill the pizza crust with any meat, vegetable or cheese that you and your family like. This is definately a one dish meal because you have almost all of the food groups included in this recipe. It is so simple that you can get your kids or grandkids involved in preparing this easy dish. It is also packed with many vitamins and other nutritents that our bodies need. The meat gives us protein that we need to build and repair all body tissue, the vegetables are packed with Vitamin C that we need to aid in healing wounds and over course the cheese gives us calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Have your kids get involved in selecting the ingredients and you could even make two different calzone's to fit everyone's taste buds. Don't forget the pizza or spaghetti sauce for dipping! To complete this meal serve with a tossed salad and orange slices. I hope you and your family will enjoy this recipe as much as my family does.

Zucchini and Chicken Pie

This week we are featuring "Zucchini and Chicken Pie." Did someone say, "pie?" When a baker says the pie is ready, she usually gets everyone's attention, especially children. We know it's summer and like pie, summer attracts everyone's attention and yes, especially children. Mealtime has positive effects for families, especially children. During the school year, we desire quick meal preparation options because of the various demands on family time and during the summer, quick meal preparation options are still our desire because in addition to the time demands, is the heat, we want to cook and get out of the hot kitchen. Summer heat does not decrease our family's appetite, especially the children's appetite! Zucchini and Chicken Pie is a suitable option for you and your family this summer because it is quick, healthy, and cost-saving. Got your attention! Great! Here are a few more points to consider!

1) Zucchini is a summer squash and vegetables are at lowest price when in season. One medium-sized zucchini has only 25 calories. Zucchini has many health benefits and provides vitamin C, folate, potassium and vitamin A. Zucchini has a high water content. Summer's harvest of fresh vegetables is an important part of a healthy diet.

2) Roadside produce stands and Farmer's Markets are full of home grown vegetables creating a great way to enhance family time. Allowing children to pick vegetables that will be a part of the family meal is a way to increase their involvement or contribution to meal time.

3) You bake this recipe, reducing the amount of time you have to be in the kitchen. Baking works well for vegetables.

Finally, keep vegetables safe to eat by following the Partnership for Food Safety Education six recommendations. For more information, visit www.fightbac.org.

Enjoy your summer,


Alfornette

"The Other White Meat" for Dinner Tonight!

This week we are featuring a pork chop recipe. Don’t forget about pork when choosing meat for your dinner tonight. Pork has changed a lot over the years. Due to public demand and changes in feeding and breeding techniques, pork producers now offer a much leaner pork product. Common cuts of pork today are 16% leaner and have 27% less saturated fat than compared to pork in 1991! The tenderloin is the leanest cut of pork and meets the guidelines for “extra lean” - a 3-ounce serving has less than 3 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat and 62 milligrams of cholesterol – it’s as lean as a skinless chicken breast.

This baked pork chop recipe uses non-fat sour cream to coat the pork chops before they are dipped in crushed corn flakes. One thing to remember about pork is not to overcook it – or your family may say it is too dry! The only way to know for sure when pork chops are done is when the food thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Finally, don’t be afraid to change this recipe to suit your family’s tastes. You could add your favorite seasonings to change things up a bit or a multi-grain cereal for the outside coating. The important thing is to vary your family’s menu so no one gets tired of eating the same thing all the time. Hope you enjoy today’s recipe!

Donna