Family Dinner Project celebrates eating meals together

With an aim to inspire families to eat more meals at home together, Lake Forest's Zen of Slow Cooking is partnering with The Family Dinner Project to celebrate the nonprofit Food Marketing Institute's fifth annual National Family Meals Month campaign.

The objective: encourage families to share one more weekly meal together using simple, healthy, one-pot meal solutions.

Numerous studies underscore the long-term health, academic and social benefits enjoyed by families who dine together. Yet, according to a Harris Poll, only 30 percent of American families share dinner every night.

"Interest in creating more opportunities for families to eat meals together is at a critical point in our society," said Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of the Food Marketing Institute, creator of National Family Meals Month.

Zen of Slow Cooking and The Family Dinner Project will inspire cooks by sharing recipes and ideas online throughout the month of September using the hashtag #familydinnerzen.

Followers will be treated to weekly recipes, dinner games and conversation starters, as well as a kids' cooking challenge featuring video demonstrations created by preteens.

Instagram followers of both The Family Dinner Project and Zen of Slow Cooking can look for opportunities to win a full selection of Zen Blends, plus a copy of The Family Dinner Project's book, "Eat, Laugh, Talk! The Family Dinner Playbook."

To enter, comment on the Instagram giveaway posts, tagging @zencooksand @thefamilydinnerproject, and including the official hashtag #familydinnerzen.

During Family Meals Month, Zen of Slow Cooking will also donate 20 percent of every purchase from their online shop to The Family Dinner Project, a nonprofit initiative based at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The nonprofit offers online and community-based tools to help families improve the frequency and quality of their meals together.

"Prior to the pandemic, Americans ate approximately half of their meals outside the home," said Dr. Anne Fishel, executive director and co-founder of TFDP.

"As a family therapist, it is important now more than ever for families to bond and have a good experience at shared mealtimes. We thank the Zen of Slow Cooking for helping The Family Dinner Project bring this benefit to many more families nationally and globally."

Recognizing mealtime struggles are real and shared by families of all shapes and sizes, Zen of Slow Cooking has created dozens of tried-and-tested recipes that make it easier for the home cook to quickly prepare family-friendly meals. Recipes and spices can be found at www.thezenofslowcooking.com.

"One-pot meals not only save time - our recipes take just 10 to 20 minutes - but the savory aromas filling the house will provide a sense of well-being," founder and co-creator Meg Barnhart said.

"For families involved in home schooling this year, this may be a lifesaver."