Written by: Nicole Pazdziorko, RDN, LD, Food City Dietitian

For Family Meals Month, perhaps you’ve been working toward the goal of having one more shared meal around the table per week. If so, give yourself a pat on the back!  Sharing one more meal around the table can benefit you and your family’s whole well-being. 

To maximize the nutrition benefits of family meals and solidify good dietary behaviors in children and adolescents, aim to use those meals as an opportunity to fuel your bodies with key nutrients that most Americans are missing. Fiber, potassium, vitamin D and calcium are a few of the key nutrients to add more of to your family meals. 

Add beans to your list of pantry staples.

Beans and legumes are some of the best sources of fiber and are a convenient staple to tie into family meals, because they are a plant-based protein source, full of potassium and fiber, are shelf-stable and cost effective for feeding a family. The versatility of beans is one of the things that makes them so great to keep on hand. Whether dried or canned, beans can be incorporated in a number of different ways in a pinch: added to salads, stirred into soups or chilis or formed into plant-based burgers. 

Try to include some type of produce at every meal. 

Whether enjoying a casserole dish, soups or even a take and bake pizza, balance out the meal with the fiber, vitamins and minerals that come from fruits and vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, or canned varieties. For quick and convenient ways to add more fruits and vegetables, look for grab and go prepared salads from Food City’s deli department or Shortcuts Grillers vegetables in Produce.

Vary your protein choices. 

Fish and seafood, skinless poultry, lean cuts of beef like sirloin or tenderloin and plant-based proteins such as tofu, beans and nuts or nut butters can be used to mix up your routine. Whether you are choosing Certified Angus Beef 90% ground sirloin for Taco Tuesday or Food City Fresh Salmon Fillets to pair with roasted potatoes and asparagus, look for ways to change up your protein game.