Do Spring Sports Have You Missing Family Dinners?

With spring sports in full swing, kids are flying around the track and covering the field. Families are zipping all over town—sometimes in different directions—to cheer on the kiddos. Tons of research backs up the notion that sitting down to family meals is good for kids and good for grown-ups as well.

But you can’t be in three places at once: the lacrosse field for one child, track meet for another and at home cooking up a delicious dinner. All that zigging and zagging means you’re missing family dinners more often than you make them. What’s a sports family to do?

It recently occurred to me that it might be time to try a family breakfast. Don’t stop reading just because you think you don’t have time to cook in the morning, because I agree with you. You don’t need to get up earlier; you just need a ‘make ahead’ game plan.

Reasons family breakfast rocks:

1. No veggie battles—yes, it happens at my house too. We’re getting there, but we don’t work on it at breakfast.
2. No brain drain from a long day at work, school or practice. We’re all just fresher before the hectic activities of the day start.
3. No matter what the day holds, we’re starting with a nutritional win and that makes a mom feel good.

Save your precious morning minutes for table time with the family and make a few things ahead. These Egg & Cheese Breakfast Bites are my kid’s favorite and microwave in a flash. You might also try these Berry Breakfast Bars or the Banana Pecan French Toast Bake. Serve it up with a glass of milk and a side of smiles to get the day started. Make one or two this weekend and let us know how your team likes it!

Mickela Mitchell, MS, RDN, LDN