October is National Eat Better, Eat Together Month. This recognition month aims to shine a light on the benefits of families eating together. Most of the literature talks about families in the terms of parents and children, but I’m sure it applies to all modern families. What’s striking and behind this article today is the tips and strategies that Eat Together, Eat Better publicize apply to keto in several ways.
If You Eat Together… You Eat Better
Research has shown that families that take the time to eat together have overall better health. Things such as diabetes, obesity, and mental health are greatly improved. Those can be broken down further. All indicators point to the simple fact that families that gather at the table lead healthier and more productive lives in the present and into the future.
This isn’t a mystery that can’t be explained. Global research shows that when planning a meal together families chose more nutritious options. What ever form of nutrition that is has shown reduced levels of obesity in kids, and those same children are less likely to become obese as adults.
There is the other benefit of mental health. Families coming together daily to talk over a meal show decreased stress in all members. There are also key indicators that children that take part in the daily ritual are less likely to turns to cigarettes, alcohol and drugs as they age.
Why Does Family Mealtime Cause You to Eat Better?
There is no real research I could find on “the why” and I tend to think it comes down to common sense. When you sit down to plan a meal you will rarely say, “let’s cook frozen dinners for all.” That’s just not the ideal we have created for a family meal.
Most times sitting around the table will have the staples of your cultural food. In Canada that would involve a protein, vegetable, and a starch. Our keto diet may be a tad different, but there is one important commonality, no processed foods. I can guarantee no matter what that big meal is the little dessert you have at the end will be less sugar than any processed pizza pop or pop tart you throw in your gut by yourself.
How Do You Get Together for a Family Meal?
Even with all the virtues of us spending mealtime together it can be challenging. Busy jobs, side hustles, kid’s activities, school, and life in general keeps us all hopping. The thought of sitting down to a full course meal each and every night is daunting.
Some common tips to make that process easier are:
– having a meal plan in place so you know what each day looks like.
– prepare meals in advance so cooking is easier.
– involve the whole family in both the planning and the cooking of the food.
If you are a long-time reader of Married to Keto you already know where I’m heading with this. Those three tips are very similar to things we have talked about in the past.
Can Keto Help with Eat Together, Eat Better?
To answer this question let’s break down the three tips that experts say will help you bring the family around the dinner table.
The first was having a meal plan in place so you know what the week looks like. This tip is a staple for a successful keto lifestyle. You must have the meal plan to not only know what you will be eating this week but knowing what to buy when you shop. Having a meal plan takes away that awful conversation that starts with, “what are we having for dinner?”
The second tip is also the most important thing for you to be successful on keto. Meal prep is the only way you can maintain this lifestyle and still have time to live. Having meals and ingredients ready to go makes this diet sustainable. Cooking each night can be tiresome, but prepping gives you the leg up to just throw things in the pot and go.
Number three might not be a direct keto tip, but something we encourage. Get the whole family involved in the cooking, even if they’re not keto. A good example of this would be a spaghetti meal. When we have our daughter and her wife over, we will cook our zucchini noodles while they prepare, their traditional pasta.
Is Keto the Answer to Family Mealtime?
I don’t think it’s the answer, but it can certainly be done. I felt it was important to write this so people could see that food isn’t the issue in the grand scheme of things. Any diet or lifestyle can work if you put the work in to make it happen. Never use keto as an excuse to exclude family time. As you can see tradition and keto are closer than you think.
Bill
