Family meals promote family togetherness. Family meals provide a time to share what is going on in each other’s lives and enjoy a nutritious meal. Families who eat together are more likely to have more balanced meals. Preparing the meal is an important part of mealtime. Have children help in every aspect of the preparation, from choosing the menu to setting the table to making the meal. Including children in the preparation can lead to lifelong knowledge and memories.

Enjoying more family meals adds up to better nutrition, stronger family bonds and children who are less likely to participate in risky behavior. Be flexible with meal schedules and locations of your family meals. If evenings are too hectic, would a regular family breakfast work for you?

Beef is a versatile menu item whether you’re cooking for one, two or a crowd. Beef provides protein, vitamins and minerals. A typical serving size for beef and other meat is 3 ounces, which is about the size of a deck of cards. A 3-ounce serving of lean ground beef has about 180 calories, 10 grams of fat and 15 percent of the daily recommendation for iron.

Pork can serve as the basis of a wide variety of tasty meals for you and your family. Today’s pork is very lean and healthful to eat. Pork provides a host of vitamins and minerals. Today’s pork has 16 percent less fat and 27 percent less saturated fat compared with pork in 1991. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has analyzed pork for trans-fatty acids (bad fats), and the results confirm that pork contains no artery-clogging trans fat.

An increasing number of children and teenagers are eating more meals and snacks away from their home and family. They may be choosing unhealthy ready-to-eat food options rather than spending time preparing a healthy snack or meal – and eating with their families. Encouraging children and teenagers to cook can build healthy lifestyle skills, creativity and healthy food choices. You also are helping them form good eating behaviors that will last a lifetime.

More children and teenagers are eating meals and snacks away from their home and family. Encouraging teens to help prepare food and clean up can help busy families manage their time. Teens learn important cooking skills and have fun, too. Cooking promotes creativity and helps teens form good eating behaviors that will last a lifetime.

Children who eat with their families are more likely to meet their calcium needs and drink less soda pop. That’s good news because children are building strong bones and need calcium and other nutrients as the building blocks. Teens have the highest calcium needs due to their rapid growth. Children who meet their calcium and other nutrient needs are less likely to get the bone- thinning disease osteoporosis when they grow older. Adults should meet their calcium needs to keep their bones strong throughout life. About 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and another 18 million are at risk of getting it due to low bone mass. Even though osteoporosis often is associated with women, about 20 percent of those who suffer from it are male. Osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million fractures a year, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Family meals give parents/caregivers a chance to be good nutrition role models for children. Whether you’re sharing a meal at a park, in a car or at the family table, children who eat with their families eat a more nutritious diet. They eat more fruits and vegetables and other nutritious foods. Shared meals give families a chance to reconnect and talk about the events of their day. Children can learn communication skills, manners and their families’ values as they share food. Sharing meals also creates memories that will last a lifetime. Keep mealtime pleasant and allow enough time to eat because children eat better in a relaxed setting.

A child’s small tummy usually cannot hold enough at meals to keep him or her satisfied until the next meal. Kids younger than 6 may need to eat two to three snacks a day because they usually can’t meet their daily requirements in just three meals. Think of snacks as minimeals to help fill the gaps in their diets. Children should be getting the majority of their calories from a variety of grains (preferably whole grains), vegetables, fruits, milk products and lean protein sources.

Learn to prepare your old family favorites in new, healthier ways with these recipe makeovers. Not all recipes need a makeover. If you can answer yes to the following questions, the recipe might be right for a makeover.