Before kids, dinner was simply a meal.  Leftover Chinese, eaten out of the container, in your bedroom, as you got ready to go with friends to the book club (or the gym, or a coffeehouse…you get the picture.)

Now, dinnertime is important family time.  It’s usually the one time during the day we can be in the same place as our kids and connect. Even research shows that children who spend dinnertime together with their families gain dietary, educational and behavioral benefits. 

• According to the University of Minnesota School of Public Health’s Project EAT, bringing the family back to the dinner table has been proven to instill lifestyle nutrition values in children, assist in higher academic performance, improve well-being and reduce the risk of unhealthy weight control behavior, particularly in girls.

• In a recent Columbia University study, nearly half of the 1,000 teens surveyed said the best time to talk to their parents about something important was during dinner. The report also found that more than 80 percent of teens said they preferred having dinner with their families to eating alone.

The United States Potato Board wants to be a resource for parents, making dinnertime special—not stressful.  We want to help take the pressure off by offering a library of Quick & Healthy Recipes as well as innovative full meals that can be served in less than 30 minutes. 

Do you have some helpful ideas, too?  Insights you want to share?  Questions you need answered?  Join the conversation on our blog, Mom’s Dinner Helper.