One expert says building a stronger family bond can start with something as simple as eating dinner together on a regular basis. This is “National Family Day” and Carolyn Hudson, a dietician with the Midwest Dairy Association, says the positives of dining together are especially evident in children.Hudson says “The research indicates that it improves school performance, it improves our test scores, it improves psychological performance. There are fewer behavioral problems and even teens who eat together with their family regularly say that they feel better supported.” Hudson says one way to lure the family back to the dinner table is to get kids involved in planning the menu or helping with the cooking. In the last 20 years, Hudson says there’s been a 33-percent decline in the number of families who feast together regularly. Hudson says “Kids, they’ve got soccer, they’ve got music, they’ve got all kinds of different school actives as well as community activities so we have to plan ahead, figure out ways that we can have real simple, easy, fast meals that are very nutritious.” Hudson says if you have to do the drive-thru, chose healthier items like salad, yogurt and milk. Studies indicate children of families that eat together regularly do better in school and are less likely to smoke, drink and use drugs.
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