(HealthDayNews) -- Family mealtimes offer more than a chance to catch up on each other's days. They also usually provide foods that contain more nutrients and are better balanced and varied than meals eaten alone, according to the Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
Children should eat at least three meals a week with other family members. When they eat alone, kids tend to grab high-fat, highly salted snack foods or prepared microwave dinners.
If everyone's different schedules make family-style meals impossible, make sure your kids have easy access to a variety of healthful foods, such as pasta with tomato sauce, macaroni with low fat cheese sauce, steamed vegetables, rice and chicken with no skin.
