Family mealtime curriculum

Cook together. Eat together. Talk together. Make mealtime a family time.

WIC and the Nutrition Council of Oregon (NCO) want to raise awareness about the value of shared meals to help improve the health and nutrition of Oregonians. The governor’s proclamation making September 2013 Shared Meal Month in Oregon was the kickoff for activities promoting shared meals.

In support of this promotion, WIC and OSU Extension worked together to develop a series of group sessions for WIC participants promoting family meals and emphasizing the Food and Nutrition Services’ (FNS) core nutrition message: Cook together. Eat together. Talk together. Make mealtime a family time.

Each of the group session guides focus on specific strategies for making family mealtime happen. The sessions utilize participant centered skills and strategies to help families realize their family mealtime goals. The Cook Together session guide (with supporting materials) is the first in the series of four.

Trainer resources

Course descriptions (all sessions) (PDF) for use in marketing the curriculum
Tips for successful food demonstrations (PDF) from OSU Extension
Shared Meals Initiative: community tools, educational materials. fact sheets. and recipes from the Nutrition Council of Oregon

Cook together

Mother and father helping toddler aged child to put chopped tomatoes into a metal bowl

Parents spending time in the kitchen with their children teaches kids skills they will use for the rest of their lives. Choosing fast and fun recipes makes all the difference. During this group session, participants will get ideas from other moms about what has worked for them and be introduced to an online resource for kid-friendly recipes and tips for cooking with kids.

Session guide: Cook Together (Word)
Presentation: FoodHero.org family mealtime resources - Cook Together (Powerpoint)
Handout: Quick to Fix Recipes (PDF)
Handout: Cooking together helps make mealtime happen (PDF)

Eat together

Man and woman sitting with a school aged boy eating a meal together

Children will take their lead from their parents. When they eat fruits and veggies, their kids will too. In this session participants will explore ways to teach their children about new foods and how to serve themselves at mealtime.

Session guide: Eat Together (Word)
Presentation: More FoodHero.org family mealtime resources - Eat Together (Powerpoint)
Handout: "I Tried It" chart (PDF)
Handout: Make mealtime family time (PDF)

Talk together

Young woman sitting with a child at an our doors table eating a meal.

Help participants find ways to make family mealtime more fun and relaxing! This is a chance for your participants to hear how other families are successfully connecting with each other during meals and get ideas for getting the whole family talking and avoiding the common mealtime distractions.

Session guide: Talk Together (Word)
Presentation: More FoodHero.org family mealtime resources - Talk Together (Powerpoint)
Handout: Talk together brochure (PDF)
Handout: Recipe, veggie quesadillas with cilantro yogurt dip (PDF)
Handout: Mealtime topic cards (PDF)
Handout: Parenting tips adapted from Just In Time parenting newsletter (PDF)

Make mealtime a family time

Family of four are sitting at a table together, eating dinner and talking

Mealtime is the perfect time for family time. This session will help your participants create a special plan for their family mealtimes.

Session guide: Make mealtime a family time (Word)
Presentation: More FoodHero.org resources - Make mealtime a family time (Powerpoint)
Handout: Activity, Make Mealtime Family Time from FoodHero.org (PDF)
Handout: Recipe, sunshine rollups (PDF)
Handout: Activity cards, describe your family mealtime (PDF)