We Lost That Meal
The sit-down meal is not a part of the fabric of our society. It is no surprise; convenience and faster pace have crowded the sit-down meal from our schedule. This change has brought a loss that far outweighs the benefits. As I see it, the loss of the sit-down meal in the evening has weakened the strength of the family unit (already attacked by other forces in modern society), burdened the family budget, and torpedoed the ability to maintain a healthy diet.
There is an important interaction that is part of this kind of meal. A bond is forged and maintained when a group comes together to eat. It goes beyond physical nourishment. Communication occurs. This interaction builds the commonality of the family unit. As the events of the day are exchanged or the plans for tomorrow discussed, the meal serves as a progress report and planning meeting for everyone involved.
The alternatives to the sit-down meal are dining out or getting fast (prepared) food to eat at home. Both lack the communal element that serves as a foundation to build the unit. A restaurant is not the correct environment to discuss family events—too much else is going on and if it is a controversial topic, it really is not the place. Fast food is terrible because it robs the preparation phase of the meal. Food is cheapened to a commodity, an item on the to do list. Both of these alternatives are expensive, expensive in simple cost and costly to ones health.
The world is losing the battle with obesity. Most of the developed nations are reporting a dramatic increase in the Body Mass Index of their populations. This is due, in part, to poor dietary choices. The convenience of a nasty Big Mac with a Super-sized Fry is plumping up the population. Eating at home is healthier, tastier and requires some extra activity. The need for one to control their intake is common to every major weight loss program I have perused. Eating in gets that control back to you--right where it belongs.
In summary, each of us should make a bit more effort to eat at home a little more often. The benefits are proven; it is healthier, cheaper and promotes a strong bond in the household unit.
I cannot say that a meal should occur every day of the week. Today’s society challenges that goal. I will promote the idea that a good starting point could be to have a sit-down meal 3 nights a week. Once the benefits are realized, then more will fall into place.
But how?
That is what this blog hopes to address. With recipes, resources and encouragement, we can get enjoy those meals. We’ll feel better about how we eat and be closer to those with whom we share the table.
There is an important interaction that is part of this kind of meal. A bond is forged and maintained when a group comes together to eat. It goes beyond physical nourishment. Communication occurs. This interaction builds the commonality of the family unit. As the events of the day are exchanged or the plans for tomorrow discussed, the meal serves as a progress report and planning meeting for everyone involved.
The alternatives to the sit-down meal are dining out or getting fast (prepared) food to eat at home. Both lack the communal element that serves as a foundation to build the unit. A restaurant is not the correct environment to discuss family events—too much else is going on and if it is a controversial topic, it really is not the place. Fast food is terrible because it robs the preparation phase of the meal. Food is cheapened to a commodity, an item on the to do list. Both of these alternatives are expensive, expensive in simple cost and costly to ones health.
The world is losing the battle with obesity. Most of the developed nations are reporting a dramatic increase in the Body Mass Index of their populations. This is due, in part, to poor dietary choices. The convenience of a nasty Big Mac with a Super-sized Fry is plumping up the population. Eating at home is healthier, tastier and requires some extra activity. The need for one to control their intake is common to every major weight loss program I have perused. Eating in gets that control back to you--right where it belongs.
In summary, each of us should make a bit more effort to eat at home a little more often. The benefits are proven; it is healthier, cheaper and promotes a strong bond in the household unit.
I cannot say that a meal should occur every day of the week. Today’s society challenges that goal. I will promote the idea that a good starting point could be to have a sit-down meal 3 nights a week. Once the benefits are realized, then more will fall into place.
But how?
That is what this blog hopes to address. With recipes, resources and encouragement, we can get enjoy those meals. We’ll feel better about how we eat and be closer to those with whom we share the table.
posted by maninthekitchen at 1:25 PM
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