Healthy eating habits start with making mealtimes a family affair.
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A discussion was held at Concordia University recently entitled Domestic Foodscapes. Rhona Richman Kenneally a professor of design and computation arts at Concordia and Jordan LeBel, an associate professor at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration asked 53 undergraduates to describe their childhood family dinners and to draw pictures of their kitchens.
The results aren't surprising. Those with the most vivid memories scored higher on the scales for food involvement and positive eating behaviour. Those who had trouble recreating drawings or had fewer memories of meals with family were more likely to see food as fuel and as a matter of convenience.Dr. Label makes some suggestions to increase the pleasure we take in our food.
1. Have a kitchen table. Students who drew tables in their childhood kitchens had more involvement in food preparation and more interest in food.
2. Rethink the island. It creates a barrier between family members in the kitchen as well as promoting grazing and eating standing up.
3. Set the table. Make dinner an event when you can. Try to eat one meal a day together. Everyone in the family will understand that they have a place at the table.
4. Turn the TV off. You should be paying attention to what you are eating and who you are sharing it with.
5. Involve your children in the preparation, not just the clean-up. Who wants to be on clean-up duty all the time? Kids will enjoy cooking if you just give them the chance.
via: The Globe and Mail
Difficulty Level: Easy
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