Making Your Family Meetings Healthier

When was the last time you had what you would consider a healthy family meeting? Chances are, you don’t associate the word “healthy” with the words “family meeting,” but believe it or not, they can fit together nicely. Here are some helpful tips for making it happen.

Passing Down Healthy Eating Habits

Making your family meeting a dinner meeting can help you maintain a healthy diet, as long as you eat at home instead of dining out. Cooking at home (or at a relative’s house) gives you control of the menu, ensuring that all food groups are represented on your table. Coordinate with your family. Have each person prepare and bring a different dish, or encourage them to bring ingredients, so you all can cook together.

Getting Active

Even though it’s typical for families to meet over dinner, you can mix things up and plan a fun activity that gets your family moving! Consider meeting up at a national park for a hike, a lake for water sports or a zoo for a walk through the animal exhibits. Not only will staying active with your loved ones make your family meetings healthier, it’ll make them more fun for everyone!

Staying Connected

A healthy family maintains connections, so make sure you use your family meetings as an opportunity to re-connect with the ones you care about the most. Staying in touch with our electronics is nice and can make a real difference when you’re trying to maintain a connection with family members spread far and wide, but nothing beats a little quality time spent together in the same room, with eye contact and without the screens.

The next time you’re planning a family meeting, think in threes: 1. healthy meal prep, 2. physical activity and 3. device-free communication. You’ll see the difference.