Groups host supper to teach parents
By Anna Krejci, Dells Events
Family mealtimes are stronger indicators that children will earn good grades, more so than the hours spent in school, sports or on art projects, says Wisconsin Nutrition Education Program Coordinator Becky Gutzman.
Gutzman, the WNEP coordinator for the Columbia County UW-Extension, will speak about the benefits of families dining together Tuesday at the upcoming Town Supper organized by the Wisconsin Dells Youth Futures Alliance and Dells Area Alliance for Young Children.
The two organizations invited Gutzman to speak about the research showing the benefits of family meals and obstacles keeping families from eating together. She will also present a "Supper in a Skillet" brochure of five or six stove-top meal ideas that can be prepared within 20 to 30 minutes.
The evening's program includes time for discussion.
According to Gutzman, who routinely gives public talks about family mealtimes, research shows children who eat with their families eat more fruits, vegetables and dairy products. She also said they consume less fat when they eat seated with family as opposed to "grazing," nibbling on pizza and fast food here and there.
And she said it's the most reliable indicator of a solid academic career.
"This is a really great first step for success," she said.
Gutzman wants to improve families' eating habits. She asserts eating as a family unit contributes to a healthy diet, better communication and prevents drug abuse.
According to Gutzman, research shows 33 percent of children eat one or two meals a week with family whereas 25 percent of children eat seven or more meals a week with family.
She doesn't recommend families try to change their habits overnight. Parents used to setting out pizza and allowing children to eat it according to their own schedules should first try to eat the pizza together at one time.
"That's enough of a challenge to start with," she said.
She counsels families to add fruits and vegetables to the meal the next time.
Families struggling to make time for meals is not new, but Gutzman said since 2005 she believes attention given to family mealtimes has made a resurgence. One of the event's organizers and a DAAYC member, Vivian Sellmeyer, recalled how her family made breakfast their family meal of the day when her children were teenagers in the 1980s.
"Sometimes when they get in high school, they're not home even after supper because they're on sports teams, and there are games away and whatever. But breakfast, we were always there..." she said.
"You have to make adjustments obviously for their ages. You can't do the same things when they're little as you do when they're teenagers, but it works. You find a way. If it's important to you, you find a way," Sellmeyer said.
Gutzman recommends the book, "Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family," by Ellyn Satter as an aid to parents. Satter is a writer and dietician in Madison who also has a master's degree in social work.
The event takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Community Action Council Building at the corner of Highway 13 and Michigan streets in Wisconsin Dells. The event is open to families in Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton. Free sandwiches and drinks will be provided.
For information call Jean Brew at 254-7428.