Dinner’s on the Table

We were recently inspired (well, blown away really) by a book we read that claimed one simple trick can improve the quality of our family life, our children’s chance of success in the world and our values as a society. And amazingly, it’s really simple too.

According to Miriam Weinstein, author of The Surprising Power of Family Meals, eating an everyday dinner with your family is a way to connect with loved ones and improve many aspects of family life. Recognizing that the pressures of today’s 24/7 world, the complications of single-parent and dual-income family households, extracurricular activities and peer pressure have threatened what used to be a universal ritual, she offers inspirational examples and strategies on how to bring family dinners back to our lives.

That’s why we’re now committed to bringing the family together as often as possible, so we set out to find some tools to help us:

Solution: We’re definitely not whining about Whining & Dining – Mealtime Survival for Picky Eaters and the Families Who Love Them by Emma Waverman and Eshun Mott, food professionals and moms to three children each. The first few chapters are full of invaluable tips on eating, appropriate rules for the table, nutrition and managing the picky eater power struggle (check out their blog for more too) and the latter part of the book is full of over 100 kid-tested recipes for every meal (including family dinners and parties). Parmesan chicken cutlets were as easy to make as opening up a box of frozen nuggets and the Fusilli with Roasted Eggplant and Cherry Tomatoes was dinner-party ready (yet devoured by the kids too).
Best For: Any parent who wants to eat with their kids. (Don’t be put off by ‘picky’.) (Available at the Parenting section at Indigo.ca, $29.95)