Meal Planning for Family

By Dr. Shikha Bathla*

When it comes to healthy eating habits, Indians are right there on the top of the list. Owing to the unique culinary traditions and rich cultural choices, Indian food is really diverse. With different ethnic, cultural, and regional groups interacting with each other in the region though there is a wide range of cooking styles, which vary from region to region, there are still certain food-preparation styles and eating habits that are common throughout the country. So Planning healthy, balanced family meals for the family throughout the entire week can be a time saver for even the busiest people. By shopping for your meals once a week, you can save time, money, and gas by making fewer trips to the grocery store or drive-thru. Taking some time to learn how to plan balanced meals for your family will save you time and can help you to eat better in the long run.

Benefits of Having Family Meals Together

Depending on your family’s lifestyle and schedule, the benefits of investing the initial time and effort into meal planning will vary, but overall the number one goal is to help simplify what should be an enjoyable and special part of every day- sharing a meal together.

Additionally, when families share daily meals together:

• Children and teens are less likely to develop addictive habits such as drugs, alcohol, or smoking.
• Children feel heard and important and therefore have a greater sense of self-confidence and are less likely to give in to negative peer pressure.
• Children do better academically because dinnertime is a great opportunity to teach communication skills. Lots of chatter at the dinner table and adult conversation gives kids an edge with their verbal communication skills.
• Children learn proper table manners. Waiting until everyone is served, no chewing with your mouth open, elbows off the table, etc. are all important manners to learn at a young age. 
• Parents are able to save their precious sanity by spending more quality time with their loved ones, and less wasted time figuring out dinner.
• Completely overhauling your diet all at once can be a recipe for disaster.

Weekly Sample Menu for Family

 Note- 1 Bowl= 100 ml, 1 Katorie = 100 g, 1 glass = 148 ml, 1 serving = 30 g

Conclusion

Try to incorporate some of the small changes in your diet health. Some of these tips will help you keep your portion sizes reasonable, while others will help you add nutrients or adapt to something new. Together, they’ll have a big impact on making your overall diet healthier and more sustainable, without a huge change in your habits.

Author's Profile

*Dr. Shikha Bathla

Assistant Professor (Home Science)

Specialization- Ph. D. (Food and Nutrition)

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, S.B.S Nagar-144516

Punjab Agriculture University,  Ludhiana, Punjab (India)

Email-ID- shikha_bathla@yahoo.com

Contact No. (O) - 01823-250652

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For more queries please write to us at kirti@healthyindiacampaign.com 

Kirti Kumari

(Food Scientist and Certified Nutrition Counselor)

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tehri Garhwal

Brand Ambassador “Beti Bachao, Beti Padao”

Govt. of Uttarakhand

Visit at-  www.healthyindiacampaign.com