Living in this century is all about time or shall I say the lack of time. With both parents working and scheduled activities for our kids, we trim our free time to the minimum and often multitask. We know that meal times can enhance our family and social ties to each other, but we choose to ignore it. Food eaten at a leisurely pace in a peaceful setting with loved ones is not a luxury.

Families who eat together stay healthier. In a survey conducted by the University of Minnesota, frequent family meals increase nutritional intake, decrease risk for unhealthy dieting, and decrease substance abuse in comparison to families who “never” or “only sometimes” ate meals together.

Here are some tips for making family meals more satisfying:

Make family meals a priority

Arrange activities around family meals whenever possible. We always try to eat dinner together. When my husband have to work late, I would have a light snack until we can have dinner together.

Make meal time pleasurable

Avoid arguments and emotionally charged discussions until after the meal. There is always time for these discussions and lectures later. Instead share news of your day, talk about current events, or even talk about your dreams. I have known my husband since elementary school, sometimes we get into discussions about our younger years that can last for hours. When you have shared history, there is always something to talk about, but only if you choose to.

Think outside of your home for family meal times

Family meal times can take place in a restaurant, at a sporting event, or even at a park. As long as you make the meals healthy, enjoy the conversation, and reconnect with your family, that is consider a healthy family meal time.

Try to incorporate healthy food into meal times

Healthy meals do not have to be fancy or take a long time to prepare. As you do this more often, you will start to develop a repertoire of quick healthy meals for your family. Sometimes it is as simple getting a frozen pizza and adding extra veggies on it. Here are some of my ideas for creating quick family meals with a store brought rotisserie chicken. There are plenty of ideas of the internet about preparing quick family meals. Like all new activities, once you get pass the learning curve, family meal preparation becomes easier with practice.

Recruit the help of your family for food preparation

Part of the pleasure of family meals is connecting with family members during prep time. Even a young child can help with a small task such as setting the silverware on the table or washing vegetables. Sure it will take them longer to do it than if you do it yourself, but the point is that they are “helping” and you get a chance to spend more time with them.

Ignore distractions such as phone calls

There is a reason that telemarketers often call at dinner time. They know someone is probably home. But I do not have this problem anymore since I signed up for the Do Not Call List. This time is for you to reconnect with your family. It is precious. Make it a priority.