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The Benefits and Barriers to Family Meals

February 1, 2018 | Liz Weiss

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I’m Liz Weiss, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian, cookbook author, and media dietitian. At Liz’s Healthy Table, I combine evidence-based nutrition with simple, delicious recipes designed for longevity, brain health, and balanced living. Drawing on decades of experience in food and media, I share real-world advice and recipes that make healthy eating both satisfying and sustainable. My goal is to help you live longer, stronger, and with more enjoyment at every meal.

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🇨🇦 A long weekend in Montréal! I hadn’t been there

🇨🇦 A long weekend in Montréal! I hadn’t been there since the late 1970s, when I was in high school, so a return visit was LONG overdue.
We flew up on our friends’ plane (a quick flight, a little bumpy, but not so scary that I had to close my eyes 😅), and then spent the weekend eating, walking, exploring, and laughing our way through this charming city.
🥯 First stop: Mile End and the Plateau, two lively, artsy neighborhoods where we sampled Montréal’s famous wood-fired bagels at St-Viateur (they reportedly make 1,000 dozen a day!), grabbed a classic Wilensky’s Special—a grilled salami and bologna sandwich with mustard—and sipped excellent coffee at Café Olimpico. And because we clearly needed more carbs, we indulged in croissants and pastries at Duc de Lorraine.
🏛️ A little history and architecture: We explored Old Montréal’s cobblestone streets, visited the Notre-Dame Basilica and Saint Joseph’s Oratory on Mount Royal, and admired the city’s mix of historic buildings and interesting modern architecture. We even spotted a piece of the Berlin Wall, a gift to Montréal and a symbol of freedom and unity. Walking tour with @toonietours
🎨 A stop at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts included a look at The Sun, Dale Chihuly’s giant glass sculpture.
🍽️ And then there was DAMAS. One of the best meals I’ve ever had (and that’s saying something!). This Syrian restaurant blew me away. The fattoush salad—with its tender greens, fresh herbs, and bursts of pomegranate arils—was mind-blowing. And I loved the dips, scooped up with piping-hot, freshly baked pita.
🌳 We also squeezed in a morning walk up Mount Royal for gorgeous views of the city. A little exercise to balance all those bagels and croissants!
So many laughs, so much coffee, so much to eat. Montréal, you won me over. I won’t wait another 45+ years to return!
❤️ Huge thanks to Rob and Lauren for touring us around. What a weekend!
#Montreal #MontrealFood #VisitMontreal #MileEnd #MontrealBagels

Part 5: Healthy Aging Month. 🦠🌱 What you eat, re

Part 5: Healthy Aging Month. 🦠🌱
What you eat, regardless of age, can help shape the community of microbes living in your gut.
🌱 Eat a variety of fiber-rich plant foods. Different fibers and plant compounds provide different fuel for your gut microbes. Think vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds — not the same three plants every day.
🫘 Consume beans or lentils several times a week. They provide fermentable fiber that gut microbes can use, along with plant protein and other nutrients. Legumes are also a staple in many dietary patterns associated with healthy aging and longevity — another reason to make them a regular part of your diet.
🥛 Include fermented foods if you enjoy them. Yogurt with live cultures, kefir, kimchi and fermented sauerkraut with live cultures are a few options.
If your current diet is low in fiber, you don’t have to overhaul it overnight. Increase fiber gradually — a sudden jump can mean a sudden jump in gas and bloating, too. And remember to drink enough fluid as you increase fiber.
🚶 Finally, move your body. Physical activity has benefits well beyond your muscles and heart, and emerging research suggests it may influence the gut microbiome as well.
A healthier gut may be one more way to support healthy aging from head to toe. 🦠💚
#HealthyAging #HealthyAgingMonth #GutHealth #Fiber

Part 4: September is healthy aging month, and heal

Part 4: September is healthy aging month, and healthy aging includes your eyes, too. 👀
🚭 Don’t smoke. Smoking is a well-established risk factor for age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases.
🥬 Eat your greens. Dark leafy greens provide lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that accumulate in the retina.
🌈 And don’t stop at green. Eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables helps provide vitamin C, carotenoids and other compounds that support overall health.
😎 Protect your eyes outdoors. Sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays help reduce UV exposure to your eyes.
👁️ Finally, don’t wait until something seems wrong to think about eye health. Comprehensive eye exams can help identify eye disease and vision changes that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Food can support eye health, but it isn’t a substitute for eye care — especially as we get older.
And a supplement note: AREDS2 supplements are intended for certain people with age-related macular degeneration. They’re not a general “eye vitamin” everyone needs, so talk with your eye-care professional before taking them.

September is National Family Meals Month™! 🍽️ As

September is National Family Meals Month™! 🍽️
As a registered dietitian, after raising two boys, writing family cookbooks, and spending years at the helm of (the retired) Meal Makeover Moms platform, I’ve learned a thing or two about making family meals happier (and a little less stressful!).
My top 5 takeaways:
✨ Keep mealtime positive and fun. Save the homework talk and stressful topics for later.
📵 Minimize distractions. Turn off the TV and put away phones and devices.
👩‍🍳 Get everyone involved. Setting the table, prepping, cooking, and cleanup all count. Family meals are a team sport!
🥗 Find meals your family actually enjoys. Build a collection of go-to recipes and invite your kids to help choose what’s on the menu.
❤️ Create rituals that last a lifetime—Friday night Shabbat dinner, Sunday supper, Taco Tuesday, or whatever brings your family together.
A big shoutout to FMI Foundation for shining a light on the power of family meals all September long.
Link in bio to learn more about the #FamilyMealsMovement @fmi_org
#FamilyMeals #FamilyMealsMovement #FamilyDinner nutrition

Part 3: September is Healthy Aging Month, so let's

Part 3: September is Healthy Aging Month, so let's talk about a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke: high blood pressure.
It's more common as we age — but lifestyle still matters when it comes to prevention and management. 🩺
🥗 Start with a DASH-style eating pattern. DASH emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and low-fat dairy while limiting foods high in sodium and saturated fat.
🥔 Get enough potassium from food. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens, yogurt and many fruits and vegetables provide potassium, which plays an important role in blood pressure regulation.
🧂 Watch the sodium. A general target is less than 2,300 mg/day, although some people may be advised to consume less.
🏃 Move regularly. Both aerobic activity and resistance exercise can be part of a blood-pressure-friendly lifestyle.
⚖️ If you have overweight or obesity, even modest weight loss may help lower blood pressure.
Talk with your healthcare provider before increasing potassium if you have kidney disease or take medications that can affect potassium levels.
#HealthyAging #HealthyAgingMonth #BloodPressure #HeartHealth #longevity

Part 2: September is Healthy Aging Month, so let’s

Part 2: September is Healthy Aging Month, so let’s talk about ways to reduce stroke risk.
❤️ Start with blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major modifiable risk factor for stroke — and because hypertension often has no symptoms, knowing your numbers matters.
🥦 Build an overall heart-healthy eating pattern around vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and other minimally processed plant foods.
🚶 Move regularly. Physical activity helps support blood pressure, blood sugar, cardiovascular fitness and overall vascular health.
🚭 If you smoke, quitting is one of the most important steps you can take for your cardiovascular health.
🩺 And know more than your blood pressure. Cholesterol and blood sugar matter, too.
No single food or workout can prevent a stroke. Think about the big picture: the habits you repeat over time add up.
#healthyaging
#longevity
#cardiovascularhealth
#strokeprevention
#nutrition

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