Rosalee Brown - DIETITIAN'S DESK

Many of us are old enough to remember when meals were always eaten at the dining table. Those without a dining table would still congregate at mealtime to eat and talk.

Most rural schools did not have dining rooms, but lunch was eaten in classrooms at the desks. We, unfortunately, started moving away from this important practice some years ago. Just recently, I was driving through a coastal town in Hanover and was saddened to see children standing along the roadside with their lunch boxes during their lunch break. Some of them were even sitting on the steps of a derelict building while they ate lunch.

This is an opportunity lost. Children should be instructed to purchase their lunches and then to return to their classes or the multi-purpose area to dine. They can then have their break after dining. In addition, after these unstructured meals, the empty boxes are usually left wherever the children sat or stood. If we want to heal our society, the healing must take place in all areas of our lives and adults must take the lead.

Let's dine together

Dining together is a perfect opportunity to teach life skills. Schools should use their multi-purpose area, if available, as dining rooms; boxes should be discouraged, where possible, opting instead for plates and bowls. Unfortunately, many children will not get the opportunity to dine, except at school; schools cannot afford to fail in this respect. No matter how plausible the excuse is, it is your mandate to find a way to mould young lives in a positive way.

In many communities, dinner is bought from a fast-food store or a cook shop on the way home, so it is more 'box food' for the evening meal. We are creating a generation with even fewer life skills than the current one. Research has shown that there are great benefits to eating together as a family, around a dining table, especially with the television off.

It's family time

For example, a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association carried out among 1300 low-income children under the age of five, showed that the children consumed more fruits and vegetables when they had their meals at a dining table with their parents and they consumed even more of these foods when there was no television viewing. Children often learn from example and will model the behaviour of adults at mealtime.

Young parents and aspiring parents, please resolve to get your family together at mealtimes. This is a very important family time as many habits, including good eating habits, can be learnt during the mealtime. You do not need to serve a three-course meal to sit together as a family. Even 'box food' can be 'plated' at home for a 'sit down' dinner.

These lifelong lessons will never be forgotten and will be passed on to the next generation, whether positive or negative, so make them positive. The Ministry of Education should holistically look at providing food for meals and also dining facilities in schools.