Bring your family back to the table

Click here for 5 steps to help prevent childhood obesity.

Make it fun
"If you find family mealtime a hard sell, plan some fun activities that are compatible with dining," McCauley says. One idea? Tell a progressive story. "For instance," she explains, "have each person add a line so that the story travels around the table. Start out with a simple line like 'It was a dark and stormy night.'"

Pick a theme
"Add fun to dinnertime by letting each family member pick a theme. If Mexican is the theme, get one of the kids to download some appropriate music while another makes some fun placemats using crayons and craft paper."

Keep the shopping list accessible
McCauley suggests keeping a shopping list on the counter or fridge so that as items run out, you can jot them down. That way, she says, when you go shopping, you won't have to take the time to do a big inventory check.

Monthly, weekly and twice-weekly shopping
"Divide your shopping into monthly, weekly and twice-weekly trips," McCauley advises. "Monthly shops for bigger staple items, weekly shops for things such as dairy products that keep well and twice-weekly shops for fresh items like lettuce and meat."

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