Reducing Mealtime Stress: How To Take The Stress Out
Planning – and cooking – a family meal can be stressful. This is true whether it’s something you do every day or you’re pulling out the stops for a special occasion – both have their drawbacks and problems associated with them. Yet if you can enjoy the meal, it will go so much more smoothly, and stop you from being so stressed. With that in mind, Here are some of the ways on reducing mealtime stress and helping you and your loved ones to relax and enjoy one another’s company more.
Make All Mealtimes An Occasion
It may seem impossible to get everyone to sit down for a meal together, but if you can manage it, even if it’s just on the weekends, you’ll be sending a message that family mealtimes are important, that food is enjoyable, and that the family is at the center of it all. This can really help to support healthy attitudes toward food as well.
Make Mealtimes Fun
Avoid turning mealtimes into a battleground by switching things up occasionally with activities like eating outside (maybe not in the winter) or having indoor picnics or “midnight” feasts. You could play a game with the kids before dinner or just ask them to describe their day in two words. Why not try introducing a new food once a week and having the kids try it blindfolded? Kids may not think about, or even dread, mealtimes, but if you make eating and socializing together a fun experience, your children will look forward to the time you set aside.
Vary Your Meals
So often, we get tired of eating the same things for dinner. Thinking outside the box and trying something new can sometimes be just what you need to get excited about cooking again. It’s fun to try out new spices, vegetables, or condiments you haven’t used before. Every once in a while, you’ll buy something that will stay in your mealtime repertoire for a long time. What a great way to get people to eat different things.
Get Some Help
Sometimes mealtimes can be stressful because you’re busy and don’t have a lot of time to create something lovely – it all feels very rushed. If that’s the case, why not get some help? Help can come in a variety of different forms, from getting the kids to prep the food (and you can teach them some useful skills at the same time) to finding catering services and ordering food – ideal if you’re having a meal with a lot of people or for a special occasion. Think about what help you’ll need to lessen your stress and put it into motion.
Don’t Hide The Veggies
You can get your kids to eat more healthy food at mealtimes by sneaking it into their meals. But research shows that children, especially younger ones, are more likely to like food if they have tried it before. Even if you blend vegetables into sauces and use cauliflower to make pizza dough, try to give kids the real thing as often as possible. This may help them become more open to these foods over time and reduce mealtime stress.
Whether are summer food ideas or just cooking for a meal, we hope we have identified ways on reducing mealtime stress and enjoying the company with your friends more.
