Family meals for happier, healthier kids and adults

Photo Credit: Jimmy Dean

Let’s face it, humans are pack animals, we aren’t meant to be alone! Experiences that bring a sense of belonging are incredibly important, and nothing brings people together quite like a good meal. Thinking back on family meals growing up brings back fond memories for many of us, but the impact of eating together goes deeper than that. Eating as a family has been shown to benefit both physical and mental health not only for children, but parents as well. Why? Let’s delve a little deeper to find out. 

1. Mentally healthier teens

Families who eat together frequently have shown lower rates of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and eating disorders in teens. The reason why can lead back to a variety of factors. For one, when parents are able to have quality interaction with their children on a daily basis, they are able to identify changes that may be an indicator of riskier behaviour such as changes in eating habits, friend groups, or academic performance. Parents are also more likely to identify instances of bullying, and therefore able to help their kids address the problem if it is occurring. This time spent together ultimately leads to happier and safer kids. 

2. Physically healthier kids and parents

Children and teens who regularly eat meals with their parents are less likely to be overweight or obese. This makes sense—parents can monitor what their kids are eating and prepare healthier options than the faster snacks and meals teens often choose for themselves. But the affect also leads to healthier parents! Parents who eat with their kids report less diet and binge eating behaviours, as well as reporting to eat more fruits and vegetables. Perhaps parents are trying to set a good example for their kids or cooking when they know they’re family will be eating it may lead to healthier choices when it comes to food preparation. But whatever it is, it’s working in everyone’s favour! And since eating healthier is a passion of ours in any situation, we can’t miss this opportunity to plug some of our plant-based meals and vegan life recipes—check it out and save yourself deciding what to make tonight!

3. A more sober present and future

Children and teens who regularly eat with their parents are shown to be less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. And this affect doesn’t just apply to their younger years. Adults who reported eating regularly with their families as a child remain less likely to report incidences of drug abuse as adults. 

4. Better relationships

When it comes down to it, eating together is an opportunity to spend quality time as a family—that’s what’s most important. Busy schedules or night shifts might not make regular, family meals possible for everyone, and that doesn’t mean your family is doomed. If you are able to have consistent family time in another way, that’s also a great option! But for those of us who have the privilege of being able to schedule daily family meals, the benefits of eating together are hard to ignore. And having a dedicated time where parents and kids always know they can share and connect as a family is a great way to ensure family time doesn’t get lost in the hustle of everyday life. So, turn off the tv, prepare something the best you can, and start a new tradition. One that your kids can then pass down to their families for happier and healthier generations to come. 

Are you an omnivore looking to try plant-based meals?

For all the meat eaters out there, omnivores and carnivore’s alike, a full plant-based diet may not be something you want to consider. Maybe a diet with no animal products isn’t right for you, and there’s no shame in that. Knowing what works best for your body and lifestyle is the base of any healthy diet. But that doesn’t mean you can’t love your plants just as dearly as the rest! A good veggie can hold its own as the star of any dish. Trust us, even our most carnivorous friends can’t say no to a well-done black bean and mushroom burger or cauliflower wings. The difference is in the mindset, variety, and having a delicious recipe. Three things, we happen to know all about. 

1. Mindset

   Many of us have grown up eating animal products in every meal. In fact, a meal just doesn’t feel complete without them, and we can’t see that changing. Maybe we’ve had plant-based meals before and felt unsatisfied or are afraid that all plant-based diets are too restrictive for our lifestyles, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Adding even one plant-based meal to your diet is a healthy choice you can be proud of. Maybe you’re interested in adopting meatless Mondays, or only eating meat for dinner or when eating out. It doesn’t have to be a hard and fast line, and you can incorporate more veggies into any meal you like. But what about the satisfaction? A meal with no meat? Is it even a meal, or just rabbit food? Let’s see. 

2. Variety

   Ever sat down for a beautiful meal of plain lettuce, only to eat a mountain of it and still feel hungry and unsatisfied? Who hasn’t. And while no one can argue that lettuce isn’t a healthy choice, it can’t be the only star. Balanced, plant-based diets are just as varied and delicious as their meat-based alternatives. And with more and more resources out there, it’s never been easier to find delicious, plant-based meals to try. The trick to feeling full and satisfied is to make sure your plant-based meal includes all the proteins, fats, and carbs your healthy, meat-based meals provide. Add tofu, tempeh, legumes or hummus for proteins. Avocados, healthy oils, and nuts for fats. Oats, sweet potato and banana for carbs. All these delicious foods are both filling and delicious. And by ensuring you are still getting your recommended intake of proteins, fats and carbs, you are making sure you feel fuller, longer, on healthy options. 

3. The Recipe

   One of the main complaints we hear about a plant-based diet is that it’s boring. People create the same meal they would have in their meat-forward diet, and just remove the meat. Let’s look at a classic—steamed broccoli with baked potato and steak. Now remove the animal products. What flavour are you left with? What did you do to spice up that broccoli? And how are the potatoes without the slab of butter, bacon bits and sour cream? No wonder it’s boring. Eating plant-based shouldn’t mean taking away. Plant based recipes are packed with flavour, and when those veggies are treated with the same time and care as a well marinated steak, they earn their place as the star of any dish. Not sure where to start?

With all these options, it couldn’t be easier to incorporate delicious, and filling plant-based meals into your diet. And with the right mindset, variety, and recipes, you won’t feel like you’re sacrificing anything. Once a week, once a day, or switch it up. If adding more plants, whether it be plant-based, vegetarian, or vegan meals, is something you’d like to try, why not today?

Plant-based vs. Vegan: What’s the Difference?

Photo Credit: Edgar Castrejon Unsplash

The idea of going vegan, or eating a more plant-based diet, is becoming more popular by the day. And with increasing information, exposure, and number of restaurants offering vegan and plant-based options, it’s easy to see why more people are interested in making the switch. But for those of us just starting out, how do we know which diet is best for us? We all have that friend, (or two or three) who tried switching to a strict, new diet only to drop the idea entirely after a couple of weeks and return to their previous habits. So, we want to make sure you have the resources you need to set yourself up for success. 

Changing your diet is a change in lifestyle, and it can be hard to do without the right preparation and information. For some, vegan or vegetarian diets are a bit of a mystery, and many others are also unaware of the changes they can make without committing to a strict, animal-free diet. To help you decide what option is best for you, we want to highlight the key differences between a vegan and plant-based diet. Let’s start with the basics:

A vegan diet contains no animal products. 

A vegan diet eliminates all meats, dairy, poultry, fish and honey. Anything derived from a living being counts and is removed. It might seem like a simple definition to follow, but what foods contain animal products isn’t always easy to see. For example, potato chips are often flavoured with seasoning that contains casein (a protein derived from milk). Casein is also commonly found in non-dairy creamers. Gelatin is found in many candies and salted peanuts, and even your wine or beer may be fined with isinglass (a gelatin obtained from fish), egg white, casein or gelatin. A person wanting to follow a strict, vegan diet would need to be aware of these potential ingredients and know which products are vegan friendly and which to avoid. 

A plant-based diet prioritizes plants but doesn’t necessarily exclude animal products. 

Following a plant-based diet doesn’t specifically include or exclude animal products. It’s up to you! As long as you are focusing on eating primarily plant-based meals, you are following a plant-based diet. So, what is plant-based? Plant-based foods include fruits and vegetables, but also include whole grains, plant-based oils, legumes, nuts and seeds. Eating plant-based also emphasizes eating whole-foods. This means your food is free from additives and processing, or is processed as little as possible. This is another difference from a vegan diet, which only specifies no animal products, and does not necessarily prohibit processing or additives. 

So, which diet is best—vegan, or plant-based?

This is really up to you. Many people choose veganism due to environmental or ethical reasons, which helps back their choice to follow a stricter diet. For others, a less strict diet focused on making healthier choices and avoiding processed foods may be in the priority, so they may choose a plant-based diet instead. No matter which diet you choose, or even if you decide neither is right for you, incorporating more plant-based meals into your diet is both an easy and delicious switch that has countless benefits for your health. The trick is finding what works best for your body, lifestyle, and values. 

If you are interested learning more about how you can incorporate more plants into your diet regardless of what diet you choose to follow, you can check out our 5 beginners tips for implementing more plant-based recipes into your diet.