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A Family that Eats Together Stays Healthy

We love our family. We earn for our family. We cook for our family. We should EAT one meal with our family daily.

A family that eats at least one meal together has many health benefits to it:

Improves Family Bond - Sitting and sharing a meal increases love and respect for the family.

Meals are Nutritious - Home cooked meals for whole family are healthier as are less in oil, salt and spices.

Encourages Healthy Habits - sharing and eating a common meal at the table encourages eating healthier foods especially by children.
 
DesiDieter experts preach "Encourage Your Children To EAT With YOU."
 
According to diet expert Tina Khanna, Children and teenagers who eat meals together with their family:

• Eat more fruits and vegetables when they grow up
• Drink less soft drinks
  
• Have more vitamins, calcium and fiber in diet
  

Also, studies indicate that children do better in school when they eat more meals with their parents and family.

DesiDieter Dietitian Sweta propagates "Say NO to EATING in FRONT of TV!". Eating dinner or snacking in front of the TV is linked to overeating. When you're distracted, you're not mindful of the meal you are eating, causing you to eat more without realizing it or really enjoying your food.
 
Turn off the TV (and other distractions like the computer or the phone), and you'll enjoy the meal on your plate and infact eat less.
 
Here are few suggestions from Divya, Diet expert on our panel “Cook Healthy, Eat Healthy” - Encouraging a healthy diet to your family is not difficult. All you need to do is remember these tips:
 
More Vegetables
Eat at least one green vegetable like spinach, mustard leaves, fenugreek, and broccoli daily. Learn to sneak more Vegetables into your Diet.
 
Have Salads
Have a plate of raw vegetable (chopped onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce) with both lunch and dinner.

Eat Breakfast
Breakfast should not be skipped. Eat a healthy, low fat breakfast like milk and cereals or oatmeal/porridge. You can have traditional breakfast like poha, upma, dosa, uthapam, idlis or chappati and subji.
 
Good Lunch
Lunch should be the complete meal of the day with Wheat/Rice and Dal/Pulse/Paneer/Chicken/Fish/Egg along with salads and curds or buttermilk.
 
Have Fruits
Have a fruit or a bowl of fruits in evening or a glass of fresh fruit juice (avoid if your diabetic or overweight).
 
Light Dinner
Dinner should be at least 1-2 hours before sleeping and should be light. Eat a meal similar to lunch but in small amounts.
 
Limit These
Avoid too much salt, spices, oil and sugar in your daily diet.

Know Your Family Healthy Foods

Eggs
Rich in protein, iron and calcium. Children and pregnant women can have a whole boiled egg at least 3-4 times a week. Grownups can have 2-3 egg whites and 1 yolk in a week.
 
Wheat Chapatti
Better than breads and rice. Gives energy and helps relieve constipation.
 
Dals
All dals, lentils and pulses are rich in protein. Have a bowl at least once a day.
 
Curds and Buttermilk/Lassi
Rich in calcium and easy to digest. Enjoy with lunch and dinner and as fruit lassi in breakfast.
 
Papaya, Carrots, Pumpkin
Orange fruits and vegetables are good for health as are rich in vitamins. Help improve vision (eyes), skin, hair and liver.
 
Green Leafy Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables are also good for health as are rich in vitamins. Help improve blood count.
 
Almonds & Walnuts
Enjoy 4-5 of each once a day to keep your whole body healthy. Give to children and adults for breakfast. Dried fruits are very healthy and nutritious.
 
To learn about healthy foods and healthy diet, discuss with our nutritionists. Know the facts about foods good and bad for you.

For more information on diet, nutrition, health, weight loss or fitness contact DesiDieter Health and Diet Experts.