Buehler’s Helps Shoppers Celebrate Family Meals Month
Full workdays, homeschooling kids, video connections with family and loved ones – the typical weekday is busy and full. Yet, somehow you have to squeeze in dinner. In addition to strengthening the family bond, there are many social, healthful and financial benefits to gathering the family for healthy meals at home. “Young children and teens who eat more family dinners tend to consume more nutrients and are less likely to be overweight,” says registered dietitian Shari Steinbach. “Benefits also include higher self-esteem, less stress and a decrease in substance abuse among adolescents.”
Today’s families, however, often face obstacles when it comes to planning and preparing dinner. The biggest barriers to eating meals together at home are a lack of time and varied schedules of family members. Dinnertime, especially during the week, requires tasty solutions that can be prepared quickly from simple, healthy ingredients on hand. If the dreaded “What’s for dinner?” question has you scrambling for quick meal options, Buehler’s offers a variety of convenient and nutritious products to make mealtime easy.
These meal planning tips can also help you have dinner on the table in minutes:
- Keep a calendar – Write down everyone’s weekly activities so you can plan easy dinner options around family member schedules.
- Buy versatile ingredients – Be prepared for busy nights by keeping quick cooking side dishes, easy-to-prepare fruits and veggies, and versatile pre-seasoned protein items on hand so you can create a fast, balanced meal for your family. These include instant brown rice, whole grain pasta, canned or frozen vegetables and fruits, canned beans, precut veggies/fruit, prepared salads and quick-cooking, versatile protein products like pork chops, pork tenderloin, and chicken.
- Use cooking technology – Small appliances such as the Instant Pot and Air Fryer can help you create fast, tasty meals with heathy ingredients. Available in our Non Foods sections.
- Feature family favorites – Make a list of the quick recipes and easy prep menus that you know your family will enjoy and have the ingredients ready in your refrigerator, freezer or pantry. You’ll have your go-to meals on hand for those especially hectic days.
- Select sheet pan dinners – During crazy busy weekdays, sheet pan dinners are a real lifesaver! Simply assemble protein, veggies and seasoning on a pan and bake. Preparation is fast and so is clean up. We have some delicious sheet pan dinner ideas on our one-week menu planner (add link) including a delicious recipe for One-Pan Parmesan Pork Chops & Veggies (post recipe below on website tab and link to it here). We also invite you to find inspiration by visiting our new Sheet Pan board on Pinterest.
- Shop Buehler’s Healthy Living Display – new this month, our Healthy Living display* features all the ingredients for a nutritious meal in one location providing convenience for our shoppers. This month’s feature is Sheet Pan Baked Parmesan Pork Chops, Potatoes and Asparagus.
September is Family Meals Month, the perfect occasion to celebrate by planning to gather your family, however you define it, around the table more often.
*Healthy Living display available at select stores: Wooster Milltown, Wooster Towne Market, Medina River Styx, Medina Forest Meadows, Ashland and Orrville
Blog authors
Annette Maggi, MS, RDN, LD, FAND (left) and Shari Steinbach, MS, RDN are registered dietitians helping Buehler’s Fresh Foods bring Healthy Living to life for our shoppers.
Sources:
- Berge, JM, Wall, M, Hsueh, TF, Fulkerson, JA, Larson, N, Neumark-Sztainer, D. The Protective Role of Family Meals for Youth Obesity: 10-year Longitudinal Associations. J Pediatr 2015; 166(2):296–301.
- Neumark-Sztainer, D, Larson, NI, Fulkerson, JA, Eisenberg, ME, Story, M. Family meals and adolescents: what have we learned from Project EAT (Eating Among Teens)?, Public Health Nutrition 2010, 13(7):1113–1121.
- Eisenberg ME, Olson RE, Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Bearinger LH. Correlations Between Family Meals and Psychosocial Well-being Among Adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004; 158(8):792-796.
- FMI U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2017. N=519 adults living together (with other adult only), N=354 adults living with children.