This year the Dietitians of Canada campaign is dedicated to helping Canadians Unlock the Potential of Food.

Highlighted in this year’s campaign is the power of food to bring us together. We all lead busy lives and it can be challenging to find time for family meals, but did you know there are many benefits?

Here are just a few of the reasons why eating together matters:

• nurtures feelings of comfort and security
• gives everyone a chance to talk and share stories
• offers parents a chance to role model healthy eating
• increases consumption of nutritious foods

This Nutrition Month challenge your family to increase the number of meals you eat together, and remember that breakfast counts too! For meal planning tips and great tasting recipes, visit Nutrition Month 2018.

Food also holds the potential of discovery! Kids love getting into the kitchen and being able to help. Involving your children in meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking, helps to build food skills and can increase self-confidence. Other benefits include:

• supports children to develop a positive relationship with food
• encourages children to eat nutritiously given that they are more likely to eat what they have prepared
• reinforces what children are learning in school
• provides opportunities to pass on family traditions

This March: challenge your child to choose a new recipe and enjoy getting creative in the kitchen together!

To learn more about what your child can help with at his or her age visit:

Cooking with Kids of Different Ages
Manitoba Government ‘Family Meals’
Healthy Canadians ‘Make Healthy Eating Fun While At Home’
Eat Right Ontario ‘Cooking with Kids’

Find out more about Nutrition Month!

Source:   Adapted from the Dietitians of Canada’s Nutrition Month campaign materials.