Family Meal Planning Solutions

Here are a few statistics that might shock you. According to A.C. Nielsen, parents and children spend an average of 38 minutes per week talking to each other. That is less than six minutes each day finding out what is going on in their lives. They spend more time than that with their friends!

So the change that you can create just by cooking meals that everyone sits down together to eat will make it worth the inconveniences.

Research Results: Benefits of Meal Time Together

Kids who spend meal time sitting down with their families have a lower risk of smoking, drinking and drugs according to the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (2004).

The teen years are a time when depression is common as kids seek to "find" themselves. Those depressive episodes are less likely to occur in children who have meals with their family. And honestly, you can't argue with statistics like that, can you?

Also, kids (and parents) eat slower when they have meals with their families which may make it less likely you all will overeat. And your stomach will thank you.

Very few families take the time to relax, and even less often than that, are they taking that time to relax together. Home is meant to be a sanctuary and a place of safety. At the dinner table, you and your kids can let your guard down and listen to each other. For younger children, listening to conversations at the dinner table helps them to learn language and communication skills (Harvard Research, 1996).

Many of the happiest moments in our lives center around food and family. Making time for meals won't change that and in fact, may make your time together even more valuable.

Use meal time to discuss what happened during the day and also to give advice to your children about the difficult situations they are facing. If everything's calm and relaxed, they are more likely to share what's going on with them and listen to your wisdom.

What are you serving for dinner tonight? How about lunch on the weekend? It can be a daunting task to come up with meal ideas especially if you have kids.

Here are ten quick ideas for family meals.

(1) Spaghetti - It's easy to quickly boil noodles and simmer some spaghetti sauce. Spaghetti has so many add-ins your family will enjoy: Italian sausage, hamburger, diced vegetables and a variety of herbs and seasonings. For a low calorie meal, use spaghetti squash in place of traditional noodles.

This is my go-to meal when I want something I can cook once and have leftovers for at least one more meal.

(2) Tacos - If your family likes Mexican food, whip up a batch of tacos for dinner. Use hard and soft shells for variety. For family meal planning, dice the fixin's ahead of time so you can just pull them out on taco night.

(3) Macaroni and cheese - Such a warm and comforting meal! Spice it up with diced tomatoes, crumbled bacon, sliced hot dogs or hamburger.

(4) Pizza - This is not the store-bought or the delivery. Were you excited for a minute there? Keep several prepared pizza crusts on hand. Then on pizza night, let the entire family choose which toppings they want on their pizza. Prep time is fun so it doesn't last long and it takes about 20 minutes or so to bake.

(5) Skewers - you can create tasty chicken, pork, seafood or beef kebobs quickly. Skewer the meat and your favorite vegetables and place them in a sealed container until meal day. This is the benefit of meal planning - getting prep work done early. Cook your tasty kebobs on a gas grill or use a grill pan indoors.

(6) Hot dogs - Nothing could be easier than throwing them in a pot of boiling water or grilling them up. For the health-conscious family, use light franks or turkey franks by Oscar Mayer or Ballpark. Or skip this one. There are lots of easy alternatives.

(7) Chef salad - Salads are always quick to fix but they usually lack something in the taste department. With a chef salad you get your portion of protein from lean ham or turkey. The taste comes from the add-ins: bacon crumbles parmesan cheese, tomatoes, shredded cheese, black beans and cucumbers. Use others that your family likes. Mine loves LOTS of cheese!

(8) Grilled cheese sandwich - Dinner doesn't need to be a four-course meal. For a new taste, add deli meat or a juicy tomato. Or bacon!

(9) Tortilla wraps - Create delicious quick sandwiches with your favorite flavor of tortilla. Glaze with mustard or low calorie mayonnaise. Add crunchy veggies and diced chicken, pork or beef.

(10) Leftover creations- Use leftovers to create salads, casseroles, sandwiches and soups. Don't let anything go to waste if it can be used for new meals.

Hopefully, these are ideas that will inspire you to create and have a great meal with your family.