Importance of Family Mealtimes

1. This set of slides is intended to provide a framework for a group discussion about planning a family mealtime challenge. The notes on these pages are not really intended to be a “script “ for presenting the slides. They are more of a general outline for discussing the issues involved in planning a mealtime challenge in your school or community. These slides can be used with any group that is planning a family mealtime challenge. It may be helpful to show the first set of slides on this CD - about the benefits of family mealtimes - before beginning the planning process. For more details about the information on these slides, or for more in-depth references, consult the Leader’s Guide for the Enriching Family Mealtimes Tool Kit - available for download at www.school-wellness.org. Many handouts and the recipes from the Enriching Family Mealtimes Tool Kit may be appropriate for sharing with audiences who are viewing these slides. These handouts and recipes may also be downloaded at: www.school-wellness.org This set of slides is intended to provide a framework for a group discussion about planning a family mealtime challenge. The notes on these pages are not really intended to be a “script “ for presenting the slides. They are more of a general outline for discussing the issues involved in planning a mealtime challenge in your school or community. These slides can be used with any group that is planning a family mealtime challenge. It may be helpful to show the first set of slides on this CD - about the benefits of family mealtimes - before beginning the planning process. For more details about the information on these slides, or for more in-depth references, consult the Leader’s Guide for the Enriching Family Mealtimes Tool Kit - available for download at www.school-wellness.org. Many handouts and the recipes from the Enriching Family Mealtimes Tool Kit may be appropriate for sharing with audiences who are viewing these slides. These handouts and recipes may also be downloaded at: www.school-wellness.org

2. Promoting aFamily Mealtime Challenge Helping Families Make a Habit of Eating TOGETHER Family mealtimes really matter – to children and adults. Research studies show that more positive mealtime experiences can lead to better communication among family members, improved performance at school, enhanced reading levels, and better nutrition for children. We are here today to being the process of planning a mealtime challenge for ________________________________________. Before starting the planning process, it may be helpful to: Have attendees introduce themselves. Designate someone to take notes as the group brainstorms various aspects of a family mealtime challenge. Family mealtimes really matter – to children and adults. Research studies show that more positive mealtime experiences can lead to better communication among family members, improved performance at school, enhanced reading levels, and better nutrition for children. We are here today to being the process of planning a mealtime challenge for ________________________________________. Before starting the planning process, it may be helpful to: Have attendees introduce themselves. Designate someone to take notes as the group brainstorms various aspects of a family mealtime challenge.

3. Katherine Cason, PhD, RD Journal of the American Dietetic Association, April 2006 "Promoting the family meal is a potential public health measure for improving dietary quality, reducing overweight, and improving educational and social outcomes.” As this quote indicates, a seemingly simple act can have a profound impact on overall health and well-being. Family mealtimes are about much more than just eating food together. That’s why experts ranging from national health organizations (e.g., American Heart Association) to influential media (e.g., Time Magazine and USA Today) have recommended family mealtimes as a way to help children eat right and feel right. This does not mean that the goal needs to be a perfect family meal every night of the week – nor that parents should feel guilty when schedules seem too crazy for everyone to sit down together. Like anything else worth having in life, eating meals as a family gets better with practice. As this quote indicates, a seemingly simple act can have a profound impact on overall health and well-being. Family mealtimes are about much more than just eating food together. That’s why experts ranging from national health organizations (e.g., American Heart Association) to influential media (e.g., Time Magazine and USA Today) have recommended family mealtimes as a way to help children eat right and feel right. This does not mean that the goal needs to be a perfect family meal every night of the week – nor that parents should feel guilty when schedules seem too crazy for everyone to sit down together. Like anything else worth having in life, eating meals as a family gets better with practice.

4. Family MealtimeCHALLENGE Beginning new patterns to establish lifetime habits As we are going to discuss today, our group _______________________ can utilize the materials in the Enriching Family Mealtimes Kit to do a challenge or promotion in our school or community. Like Read-a-Thons and Turn Off the TV Week, these events can help families establish new patterns and get a start on new habits for a lifetime. As we are going to discuss today, our group _______________________ can utilize the materials in the Enriching Family Mealtimes Kit to do a challenge or promotion in our school or community. Like Read-a-Thons and Turn Off the TV Week, these events can help families establish new patterns and get a start on new habits for a lifetime.

5. A successful challenge needs: Participants Partners Promotion Printing Prizes Parties Like any successful school or community program, the mealtime challenge at _____________________________________ will need to consider these six Ps. Let’s go through them one at time - and brainstorm what we have, and what we will need, to make our family mealtime challenge a huge success! Like any successful school or community program, the mealtime challenge at _____________________________________ will need to consider these six Ps. Let’s go through them one at time - and brainstorm what we have, and what we will need, to make our family mealtime challenge a huge success!

6. PARTICIPANTS Before we discuss any other details, we need to first consider our participants. Let’s take a few minutes to really think about - and think like - the families we believe will participate: WHO is the target audience? WHAT are the best ways to reach this audience? HOW can we make our challenge so enticing that everyone will want to participate? Before we discuss any other details, we need to first consider our participants. Let’s take a few minutes to really think about - and think like - the families we believe will participate: WHO is the target audience? WHAT are the best ways to reach this audience? HOW can we make our challenge so enticing that everyone will want to participate?

7. PARTNERS Promotion to their members Printing of handouts Prizes and materials Support for parties Our family mealtime events will require more resources (e.g., time, people, prizes, etc.) than the folks in this room today. Partners will obviously be crucial to our success. Here are a few potential partners for this type of event. • PTA/PTO and other parent groups • School Wellness Team or Health Council • Student groups, such as Key Club or 4-H Club • Family agencies (YMCA, YWCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc.) • Women’s organizations or religious groups focused in family life • Supermarkets or grocery stores Now, let’s take a few minutes to brainstorm as many potential partners as we can. As we are brainstorming the list, let’s also write down: HOW will this potential partner be able to contribute? WHO will be able to contact them about their participation? Our family mealtime events will require more resources (e.g., time, people, prizes, etc.) than the folks in this room today. Partners will obviously be crucial to our success. Here are a few potential partners for this type of event. • PTA/PTO and other parent groups • School Wellness Team or Health Council • Student groups, such as Key Club or 4-H Club • Family agencies (YMCA, YWCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc.) • Women’s organizations or religious groups focused in family life • Supermarkets or grocery stores Now, let’s take a few minutes to brainstorm as many potential partners as we can. As we are brainstorming the list, let’s also write down: HOW will this potential partner be able to contribute? WHO will be able to contact them about their participation?

8. PROMOTION Letting potential participants know WHY, HOW and WHAT the challenge is all about. Promoting the family mealtime challenge at ____________________ is the next important issue that we need to discuss. The Enriching Family Mealtimes Kit provides a fill-in-the-blank press release that we can adapt for our program. So, let’s take a few minutes to discuss promotion. We will need to decide: WHO will finalize and distribute the press release? TO WHOM do we need to send the press release? WHAT other types of promotion can we do in our school and in our community? Promoting the family mealtime challenge at ____________________ is the next important issue that we need to discuss. The Enriching Family Mealtimes Kit provides a fill-in-the-blank press release that we can adapt for our program. So, let’s take a few minutes to discuss promotion. We will need to decide: WHO will finalize and distribute the press release? TO WHOM do we need to send the press release? WHAT other types of promotion can we do in our school and in our community?

9. PRINTING Participants need calendars for recording family meals, as well as handouts and recipes. There are a number of items that we will need to print in order to make our family mealtime challenge a success, including calendars for recording family times and handouts with tips for families. Let’s talk about printing issues: HOW MANY calendars and handouts will we need to copy for the challenge? Do we have any partners who can help with printing these? HOW will we distribute these to families? Any partners to help? HOW will we collect the mealtimes records from families at the end of the challenge? Partners? There are a number of items that we will need to print in order to make our family mealtime challenge a success, including calendars for recording family times and handouts with tips for families. Let’s talk about printing issues: HOW MANY calendars and handouts will we need to copy for the challenge? Do we have any partners who can help with printing these? HOW will we distribute these to families? Any partners to help? HOW will we collect the mealtimes records from families at the end of the challenge? Partners?

10. PRIZES Certificates for food, tableware or cookware Meals cooked by celebrity chefs Child-friendly cookbooks Cooking classes for children and/or families Active family games Prizes are obviously an important part of any program like our family mealtime challenge. Based on the importance and strong interest in promoting family mealtimes, we should be able to find donations of prizes for this challenge. We have a few ideas for prizes listed on the slide - let’s take a few minutes to brainstorm as many specific prizes as possible. It might be helpful if we could make a list with: Possible prize Specific source of the donation (I.e., name of store) Person who will contact the source to ask for the donationPrizes are obviously an important part of any program like our family mealtime challenge. Based on the importance and strong interest in promoting family mealtimes, we should be able to find donations of prizes for this challenge. We have a few ideas for prizes listed on the slide - let’s take a few minutes to brainstorm as many specific prizes as possible. It might be helpful if we could make a list with: Possible prize Specific source of the donation (I.e., name of store) Person who will contact the source to ask for the donation

11. PARTIES Successful programs deserve celebrations. Maybe a family potluck or a cooking class for children? Let’s look forward to the completion of our family mealtime challenge and think about possible ways to celebrate our success. The Enriching Family Mealtimes Tool Kit suggests the possibility of a family-style meal - where families are invited to eat at school or another location, like fellowship hall. • Meal could be bring-your-own, potluck, or catered by school foodservice • Conversation starter cards and other tips could be distributed to attendees • Dinner “theatre” could be provided by children in chorus, dance, or drama Let’s think realistically about WHAT KIND of event would work for us. It doesn’t have to be elaborate - but it does need to be fun!! Let’s look forward to the completion of our family mealtime challenge and think about possible ways to celebrate our success. The Enriching Family Mealtimes Tool Kit suggests the possibility of a family-style meal - where families are invited to eat at school or another location, like fellowship hall. • Meal could be bring-your-own, potluck, or catered by school foodservice • Conversation starter cards and other tips could be distributed to attendees • Dinner “theatre” could be provided by children in chorus, dance, or drama Let’s think realistically about WHAT KIND of event would work for us. It doesn’t have to be elaborate - but it does need to be fun!!

12. A successful challenge needs: PARTNERS PROMOTION PRINTING PRIZES PARTIES To wrap up today’s discussion, let’s review all the things that we have planned today, make assignments for all of us to do, and set a date for our next meeting. While we are going through the details, let’s consider one more time how we can make this mealtime challenge FUN for families. Making it FUN will be the key to our success. SO, let’s review: DATES for the challenge Potential PARTNERS Plans for PROMOTION Plans for PRINTING Potential PRIZES Options for PARTIES DATE for our next meetingTo wrap up today’s discussion, let’s review all the things that we have planned today, make assignments for all of us to do, and set a date for our next meeting. While we are going through the details, let’s consider one more time how we can make this mealtime challenge FUN for families. Making it FUN will be the key to our success. SO, let’s review: DATES for the challenge Potential PARTNERS Plans for PROMOTION Plans for PRINTING Potential PRIZES Options for PARTIES DATE for our next meeting

13. For more information and recipes visit More information about all the topics discussed on these slides can be found in the Enriching Family Mealtimes Tool Kit - available for download at www.school-wellness.org The kit includes dozens of mealtime tips for families and deliciously easy, nutrient-rich recipes featuring lean beef. More information about all the topics discussed on these slides can be found in the Enriching Family Mealtimes Tool Kit - available for download at www.school-wellness.org The kit includes dozens of mealtime tips for families and deliciously easy, nutrient-rich recipes featuring lean beef.

14. Thank you for joining this discussion of family mealtimes - and thank you for everything you do to promote positive mealtimes in your home and for other children in our community. Promoting family mealtimes is one important way to insure that our children are fit, healthy, and ready to succeed. I look forward to working with you on a successful mealtime challenge at __________________. Thank you for joining this discussion of family mealtimes - and thank you for everything you do to promote positive mealtimes in your home and for other children in our community. Promoting family mealtimes is one important way to insure that our children are fit, healthy, and ready to succeed. I look forward to working with you on a successful mealtime challenge at __________________.