Editors at Taste of Home - Taste of Home 100 Family Meals: Bringing the Family Back to the Table

2016 RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC 1610 N. 2nd St., Suite 102, Milwaukee WI 53212 All rights reserved. Taste of Home is a registered trademark of RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC. EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief: Catherine Cassidy Vice President, Content Operations: Kerri Balliet Creative Director: Howard Greenberg Managing Editor, Print & Digital Books: Mark Hagen Associate Creative Director: Edwin Robles Jr. Editors: Amy Glander, Hazel Wheaton Associate Editors: Molly Jasinski, Julie Kuczynski Art Directors: Raeann Thompson, Maggie Conners Layout Designer: Courtney Lovetere Editorial Production Manager: Dena Ahlers Editorial Production Coordinator: Jill Banks Copy Chief: Deb Warlaumont Mulvey Copy Editor: Chris McLaughlin Editorial Intern: Maddie Rashid Editorial Services Administrator: Marie Brannon Content Director: Julie Blume Benedict Food Editors: Gina Nistico; James Schend; Peggy Woodward, RDN Recipe Editors: Sue Ryon (lead), Irene Yeh Test Kitchen & Food Styling Manager: Sarah Thompson Test Cooks: Nicholas Iverson (lead), Matthew Hass Food Stylists: Kathryn Conrad (lead), Lauren Knoelke, Shannon Roum Prep Cooks: Bethany Van Jacobson (lead), Melissa Hansen, Aria C. Thornton Culinary Team Assistant: Maria Petrella Photography Director: Stephanie Marchese Photographers: Dan Roberts, Jim Wieland Photographer/Set Stylist: Grace Natoli Sheldon Set Stylists: Melissa Franco (lead), Stacey Genaw, Dee Dee Jacq Set Stylist Assistant: Stephanie Chojnacki Business Architect, Publishing Technologies: Amanda Harmatys Solutions Architect, Publishing Technologies: John Mosey Business Analyst, Publishing Technologies: Kate Unger Junior Business Analyst, Publishing Technologies: Shannon Stroud Editorial Business Manager: Kristy Martin Rights & Permissions Associate: Samantha Lea Stoeger Editorial Business Associate: Andrea Heeg Polzin BUSINESS Vice President, Group Publisher: Kirsten Marchioli Publisher: Donna Lindskog Business Development Director, Taste of Home Live: Laurel Osman Promotional Partnerships Manager, Taste of Home Live: Jamie Piette Andrzejewski TRUSTED MEDIA BRANDS, INC.

President and Chief Executive Officer: Bonnie Kintzer Chief Financial Officer: Dean Durbin Chief Marketing Officer: C. Alec Casey Chief Revenue Officer: Richard Sutton Chief Digital Officer: Vince Errico Senior Vice President, Global HR & Communications: Phyllis E. Gebhardt, SPHR; SHRM-SCP General Counsel: Mark Sirota Vice President, Magazine Marketing: Christopher Gaydos Vice President, Operations: Michael Garzone Vice President, Consumer Marketing Planning: Jim Woods Vice President, Digital Product & Technology: Nick Contardo Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis: William Houston Publishing Director, Books: Debra Polansky For other Taste of Home books and products, visit us at tasteofhome.com. International Standard Book Number: 978-1-61765-583-8 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016948966 Cover Photographer: Jim Wieland Set Stylist: Dee Dee Jacq Food Stylist: Shannon Roum Pictured on front cover: Additional Photography: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock, pages 10, 92 and 93 (families); BlueOrange Studio/Shutterstock, page 278 (family with baby); wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock, pages 12 and 194 (families); Sandy DeGasser, pages 4 (wife and husband),168 (family at table) and 193 (family photo); RAYphotographer/Shutterstock, pages 12, 52, 92, 130, 168, 194, 222, 248 and 278 (picture frames).

How does something as simple as a family meal turn into something magic? Its easy! The family meal is, in fact, the perfect place for families to connect, says therapist Anne K. Fishel, PhD, associate clinical professor of psychology at the Harvard Medical School. We say food is what brings everybody to the table, but its the other things that make it meaningful and enjoyable. Those other things include laughter, sharing memories and making new ones, learning about one anothers day, instilling values and more. If that seems like a lot to ask of a slice of meatloaf and a side of green beans, its notand thats proven by numerous studies. For instance, studies show that teens who are regulars at the dinner table say their parents know a lot about whats going on in their lives.

In fact, many of those teens expressed a desire to have meals with their families more often.

We did, says Debbie. It was just stressful getting it on the table. We wanted to see the kids, but I didnt feel it played a role in our connection as a family. It just didnt have much meaning for us. Through a colleague, Debbie heard about a movement that encouraged families to make sit-down meals a priority, even if it means cooking ahead and occasionally using convenience items to help get a meal on the table. Suddenly, dinner was a really wonderful time, Debbie explains.

It became an opportunity for us to find connection and fun. It became a place for us to share family values. For the kids, it reinforced the idea that no matter what else was going on, family is here for them and on their side. It was a stress-free zone for Debbie, too, a benefit that was documented in a study from Brigham Young University. The results indicated that mothers benefited from regular family meals: Sitting down together as a familyeven if the mother had to make dinneroffset the negative effects of long work hours and job stress.

The recipes can be as simple as you want them to be, and the menu doesnt have to be elaborate either. Items such as deli meats, rotisserie chicken, bagged salad greens and boxed mixes can really speed up a menu. In fact, more than 140 of the recipes in 100 Family Meals are table ready in 30 minutes or less, making it easy to prepare dinners even on hectic nights. Another timesaver? Let the kids help. From setting the table to mixing ingredients, your kitchen helpers not only get dinner on the table faster, but their involvement gets them more excited about sitting down as a family, teaches them techniques theyll rely on the rest of their lives and offers a chance to learn about healthy eating. Speaking of which, little ones are more likely to eat their vegetables when theyve been a part of the selection process.

In other words, take them shopping, ask for their input or plant a garden. Studies found that children who grow vegetables are more inclined to eat them. They want to try them because theyve been part of the process, says Lynn Barendsen, Executive Director of The Family Dinner Project. She suggests finding ways to get adolescents involved, too. Let them pick some music to cook to, or let them pick music to play at dinner. The music also gives you something to talk about during the meal.