What are the Benefits of serving family Style meals?
Family style meal service provides an opportunity to reach nutritional goals by encouraging a pleasant eating environment which will help give children the opportunity to enhance lifetime skills, such as motor skills, language, social skills, table manners, and independence. This method allows children to identify, and be introduced to new foods, new tastes, and new menus, while developing a positive attitude toward nutritious foods, sharing in group eating situations, and developing good eating habits. Family-style meals may also have a very positive effect on the picky eater. When children sit together and serve themselves, the picky eater may see others accepting foods and want to try the foods as well. The adult may need to encourage the picky eater to taste the food. Family-style meal service takes time, but persistence results in children who will develop lifetime skills at an early age.
