Help Your Child Find Academic Success by Making Dinner
Apr 29, 2022
A few months ago I read an article about how cereal sales are down because Millennials aren’t eating cereal. The reason? They don’t want to wash the bowl.
Wow! This article shocked me because I spend much of my day feeding my family. Since I read that article, however, I have seen many, many articles with similar themes. People aren’t cooking at home like they used to. The Washington Post notes, “Less than 60 percent of suppers served at home were actually cooked at home last year.”[1]
What are we missing out on when we don’t cook for our families? For one, feeding our children healthy food filled with essential vitamins and minerals leads to a healthy brain. It also prevents depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. In addition, kids who eat dinner with their families five or more times each week tend to get higher grades! Each month new science reports are coming out discussing the gut/brain connection. Recently researchers found a connection between obesity and memory impairment.[2] There is so much more to learn but we already know that the gut microbiome influences how we feel and our clarity of mind. Giving the brain the food it needs to grow is the first step towards helping our children find academic success.
Brain Food
The new “Planetary Health Diet” urges people to cut their portions of red meat and sugar and increase their intake of healthy fruits and vegetables. This will not only create a more sustainable way to feed everyone on the planet but it is also much healthier. In restaurants vegetables often have to be ordered as a side which is another expense so people don’t order them. When people cook frozen meals for dinner, they are often cooking the entrée, which again has few vegetables in it. When cooking meals from scratch at home, however, it is easy to add vegetables to whatever we are making. Making some chili? Throw in some carrots and celery. How about a side salad with dinner? Or purchase some of the spiralized carrots or zucchini now so easy to find in the frozen food section and use them to replace half of your spaghetti. In addition to eating more vegetables, we also use less sugar and salt when cooking at home.
Importance of a Family Meal
Christine Carter, in her work with helping families live happier lives, discusses the importance of having dinner (or breakfast) together.[3] Dining together gives families a chance to catch up and share what is going on in their lives. It is a touchstone of our day. This time has become especially important in our house now that we have two teenagers. In between homework, sports, activities, and hanging out with friends, we often feel we only see our children at dinner. We get to hear about what is going on at school, discuss the news of the day and this time also gives us all a time to discuss logistics for the coming day.
In addition to the family time, dinner is a chance to teach our children how to cook. This is a life skill that kids are going to need once they leave our home. Learning to cook encourages children to develop a lifetime of healthy eating habits. Almost anything they like to eat will be healthier if it is made at home. During the school year, I have my children help with little things like getting the salad ready or make the cornbread. During the summer, my children are in charge of planning for and preparing one dinner a week.
Lastly, I think dinner is a great time to create memories. What college student doesn’t come home craving one of mom’s dishes? The routine of sitting around the table together every night and eating favorite dishes creates an anchor that helps hold the family together and one that will bring children home even after they have entered the adult world.
So go ahead, dirty a few bowls as well as plates and pots and silverware too! The gift of a home cooked meal will go farther than another session of tutoring or one more soccer practice.
“Is there … any time less wasted than preparing something delicious and nourishing for the people you love?” - Michael Pollan
[2]https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2018.00155/full#h4
[3]https://www.christinecarter.com/2018/10/the-power-of-family-dinners/
