Did you know that family meal times can impact achievement? Sitting down to break bread with your family or friends goes far beyond eating. In fact, community development researchers suggest that everything from literacy to academic achievement may be impacted by the simple family practice of sharing meals together on a regular basis. Mealtimes include cooking, preparing, eating, and cleaning up after a meal. This is a discipline that can restore much needed balance to the family and bring more structure to your schedule. Take time to go beyond the meal, learn ways to protect meal times by implementing strategies that work, even for the super busy. Learning Objective: Learn strategies to plan prepare and manage stress to create, restore, or protect the tradition of meal planning Outcome- At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: a. Examine the research and benefits of mealtime traditions b. Use time management tools to protect your tradition c. Examine the role of meal planning for families and singles d. Identify tools and tips for preparation and planning e. Create a fall back plan A Spotlight on Women’s Health: What You

1. October 11–13, 2012
Top Chef: Beyond the Meals
Chef Raymond Lee, Donna Lee

2. Did You Know?
• Did you know that family meal times can impact achievement? Sitting
down to break bread with your family or friends goes far beyond eating.
• In fact, community development researchers suggest that everything
from literacy to academic achievement may be impacted by the simple
family practice of sharing meals together on a regular basis.
• Mealtimes include cooking, preparing, eating, and cleaning up after a
meal. This is a discipline that can restore much needed balance to the
family and bring more structure to your schedule.
• Take time to go beyond the meal, learn ways to protect meal times by
implementing strategies that work, even for the super busy.
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3. Session Objectives
• At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
– Examine the research and benefits of mealtime traditions
– Use time management tools to protect your tradition
– Examine the role of meal planning for families and singles
– Identify tools and tips for preparation and planning
– Create a fall back plan
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4. Examine The Research and Benefits of Mealtime Traditions
• Family meals – benefit children and youth throughout the year
• They use this time to:
– demonstrate and build connectedness among and between family
members
– share information about activities they are involved in such as sports,
plays, etc.
– share challenges they may be having at school, with friends or school
work
– Share successes
– Discuss plans for vacation and future events
– Laugh, dream and sometimes even debate each other
Reference: http://blog.childtrends.org/2012/01/24/eat-and-be-merry-together-at-the-dinner-table/
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5. Reference: http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_01_01_FS_SharedMeals.pdf
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6. Reference: http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_01_01_FS_SharedMeals.pdf
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7. Reference: http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_01_01_FS_SharedMeals.pdf
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8. Reference: http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2012_01_01_FS_SharedMeals.pdf
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9. Time Management Tools That Can Protect Your Tradition
Your management tools will help you sustain your family traditions, help set priorities,
allocate and distribute responsibilities throughout all family members.
• Setting A Cell Phones Alarm
Consistent family Calendars of
• Set your Alarm “Human Bell Ringer”
meal time agree family events
for family meal which represents one
upon by all family including meal
time of family member each
members time placed in a week responsible for
• You do it for visible location setting the table and
• Provisions to important such as the call members to the
inform if family meetings don’t refrigerator door table to eat.
member can not you????
be on time.
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10. Your Turn –Share a Pair time - Activity #1
• What are some
management
tools you have
used that really
work!
• Need 3 people
willing to share 1
1 great idea 2
3
from your pair!
3 min.
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11. Role of Meal Planning for Families and Singles
• Impacts Budget
• Affords shared decision making
– all members of family providing input in buying
groceries and planning meals
– Weekly or monthly basis
• Portion Control – family discussions
• Innovative leftover menu strategy” to
maximize budgets
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12. Another Look at the Impact and Benefits of Mealtime Traditions and Planning
Family Meal Time • Reflects Value of family unity
• Creates opportunity for
• Family gathering family talk time
Character Building Component
Blessings of the Meal • Evokes recognition and
• Grace respect of a deity
• Promotes long term memory
• Ensures what you put in your
“Washing Your Hands body is clean
• Sanitation • Promotes healthy practices
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13. Health and Social Development Impact
• A December 2010 study conducted by the
Department of Sociology at Texas A&M University,
College Station entitled Mothers and meals: The
effects of mothers' meal planning and shopping
motivations on children's participation in family
meals, found that when children participated in
family meals there was a direct benefit on the
health and social development of children.
Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20870001
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14. Top Chefs - Balance Their Life
Healthy
Family Meals &
Traditions Choices
Keeping The Family Balance
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15. Tools Use Can Use: Recipes – handouts
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16. 16

17. • Achieve your • “Be there” • Communication
goal of • All family members • Some form of
protecting the are at the communication
family tradition designated family either call, text or
with health meal time location email will be made
snacks such as to inform family
apples and members of any
apricots at the changes in family
scheduled meal meal time tradition
time
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18. My Personal Fall Back Plan
My Goal: ’
Focus Areas
What Steps
To accomplish
my goal.
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19. Three individuals should be prepared to share their plan.
Participants will select the “Top Chef”
10 min.
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20. Chefs Lee’s For formula for
Top Chefs
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21. Take Aways
1. Your Mission has to be Your Health and the Health of
Your Family.
2. As a “Top Chef” you must know why protecting the
tradition of family meal planning is important and
that it has a direct impact on our Healthy living!
3. Signing a family meal time contract will demonstrate
your commitment as a family member to protect this
precious tradition!
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22. Our Family Meal Time Contract
We, the __________________family are committed protecting our tradition of family
meal planning because we value this tradition and recognize that it has a direct
impact on our family’s healthy living.
As a family we are committed to improving the quality of our life through maintaining healthy
eating
during our family meal time tradition . This commitment will help us make positive lifestyle
choices.
We accept the responsibility to make changes in our everyday routine protect our family meal
time traditions.
________________________________________________
(Sign Name) Chef Raymond Lee
Signed this _____ day of ______________________, 20__
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