Maggie McKay (Host): Nutrition for your family shouldn't be a chore, but sometimes it just is. And finding creative ways to cook for your family can make family mealtime a lot happier. So today, we'll find out how, with Bettina Tahsin.

 Welcome to Total Health Talks, your Cook County Health podcast, where we empower your journey to better health. I'm your host Maggie McKay. And today, we're going to talk with Bettina Tahsin Network, Diabetes Program Manager, Cook County Health Division of Endocrinology about creating healthier, happier, family meals. Thank you so much for being here, Bettina.

Bettina Tahsin, MS: Great. Thank you for having me.

Host: I think so many people can relate to this because when you have a family, no matter how big or small, every day you have to come up with creative ideas that, you know, the whole family is going to like. And that is no easy feat. So, why are family meals so important?

Bettina Tahsin, MS: Family meals are just so powerful. Done right, they can lead to a tremendous sense of well being, both physically and emotionally. They are times where you can gather with loved ones to connect, hear how their days are going. And at the same time, they can promote good health because you're providing nourishing food and, for instance, you're helping children learn how to eat healthy at the table in real time. At the same time, they can be very stressful, because of a number of different reasons, such as children who are picky eaters or incorporating family members who may have health problems. But again, done right, they can be tremendously powerful.

Host: And what are some of the challenges in creating healthy family meals? Because they are there for sure.

Bettina Tahsin, MS: Exactly. So for a lot of people, planning family meals can feel very overwhelming. I've got to find a time when the family can get together. I've got to shop, cook. I've got to figure out what to make, how to pay for it. I may feel, for instance, my cooking skills are not what they could be, and I want to make sure that the food is food that is at the table is food that everybody enjoys.

Host: And how can families identify what will work best for them, including adjusting for dietary and cultural preferences too, as well as available food budget, time, and the kitchen skills, and what food is available to you in your neighborhood?

Bettina Tahsin, MS: So for successful family meals, probably the first and most important step is listening. One of the obstacles sometimes to that, or two of the obstacles sometimes to that, is these are people that I really care about and I know really well. And so, I might be making assumptions about what they will enjoy, not enjoy. So, I may not be listening and asking. And secondly, because I care about these people so much, I might have some anxiety about what they're eating. So for instance, with my children, I might be anxious that they're not eating enough food to grow and be healthy, or if I have family members who are not healthy, I will be concerned about what they are and are not eating. So, some of those are obstacles that will keep me from listening. But if I truly am open and talking with my family members, I might come up with solutions that will work for the people that I really care about.

Host: I remember when my son was little he didn't like every single meal. And I said, "You know what? We're a family. You're not going to love every single meal every night of the year for years and years. That's just the way it is." However, what are some easy changes toward creating healthier family meals?

Bettina Tahsin, MS: Oh, with children especially. So, the great thing about kids is they are very adaptable. So, a kid may, for instance, hate carrots now, but they might enjoy it the next time you give it to them. You know, I have a co-worker, for instance, who said he was a very picky eater when he was a child. And I asked him, I said, "What would have helped you when you were a kid?" And he said, "One, people thought it was the taste of food that I had a problem with when it was really the texture." And so, for instance, I like things that were crunchier. So, finding out from the kid why do you like or not like a food may help you decide, "Oh, let me try it less cooked, more raw," or maybe I want to pair it with something else.

Also, what's important for kids is, and actually maybe anybody in the family for the dynamics, is if you eat or not eat something, don't make a big deal out of it. Today, I don't like the broccoli. Okay. Today, we're not going to have broccoli. Tomorrow, maybe I do it in a different preparation, or I have it in smaller pieces, less cooked or more cooked, they ate it. Again, don't make a big deal out of it. Some days, I'll eat something. Some days, I won't. And as a parent, for instance, you'll be like, you are the person who decides this is what's going to be served at the table. But the person eating it gets to decide how much of it am I going to eat, and let's not get into a battle about it. The food is there, they can decide to eat it or not. The next day, they may choose to eat something else.

Host: That's all really good advice. When I was growing up, it was old school, and my parents said, "You have to finish everything on your plate." And it was a standoff. Like my dad would sit with me until I finished or didn't. My mom would do the dishes and leave, and my siblings went their way. And then, my dad would see that I was not going to finish it. So, he was kind of on my side and we wouldn't say anything. We wouldn't say I finished, but we just put it down the disposal, which probably is not okay. But I love that idea to say not everyone's going to eat everything every day, and that's just the way it is. So, that's a really good thing to keep in mind.

Bettina, what are some behaviors or environmental changes that will lead to more family mealtime enjoyment?

Bettina Tahsin, MS: So, we are definitely living in the age of distraction. And a good family meal can help fight against that. Because in the age of distraction, we're also very isolated and alone. So, what we want to be doing is minimizing distractions. We want to turn off the TV. We want to put away phones and tablets. This is a time to be together as a family.

And again, other things that we want to do to make the environment of the family meal more enjoyable is, again, we want to be promoting that "I decide what I'm going to eat." So, one way to do that is to maybe present a deconstructed meal, like family style, where sort of family style, there'll be like a bowl of the whole grains, a pot of the veggies or the stew, the platter of whatever the protein is. And each person gets to decide what goes on the plate. So, I'm everything is, "I'm the person eating it, I get to enjoy, and then there's less stress for me, I can be more engaged in the conversation like that."

And also, in terms of the environment, I want to be providing a meal that maybe everybody pitched in to help create. So, I want it to be something where it's not like a server. This is not a restaurant. This is a family meal. So, I want to make sure it was set up in such a way where everybody feels like they had a hand in the family meal. We've all agreed this is what we're having. We can enjoy it together as a family.

Host: I love that family style idea. That takes care of a lot of issues right there. What are some resources available to improve access to healthier food? Because earlier I mentioned, depending upon where you live, you may not have sprouts or whole foods available to you. So, what are some resources?

Bettina Tahsin, MS: So when you are talking about accessible food, right now, food costs are very high. So, there are more and more families who may not be able to afford healthy foods. So, the first thing, depending upon your eligibility, is make sure that you are accessing all of the resources that are available to you. For instance, sign up for SNAP, which are the supplemental nutrition programs, to make sure you're getting the extra money that the government affords. The Chicago Food Depository, if you think that you want to be accessing pantries, on the Chicago Food Depository's website, they have a listing by ZIP code of what are some of the available pantries.

Also, consider other options such as community gardens, foods through there. Also, learn how to shop the sales, buy your produce in season, because those are the most affordable. And then also, both to help put together healthier meals faster, but also foods that will keep longer. For instance, with vegetables, people are like, "If I buy the vegetables, they'll go bad." Well, frozen vegetables are very nutritious, frequently very affordable, and they will keep for longer, and I'll have them ready to put into meals as needed. Also, when I make extra food, freeze the leftovers. Don't throw them out. Have them available frozen, because that is also another way to put together a meal later on, is I can access what I've already either frozen, or if I'm really crafty, I've done some canning, or make extra so I can have it for extra meals. And that's also a way to cut back on costs.

Host: Bettina, I wish I spoke with you before I got married and had kids. I mean, you should do a show. This is all, it is, a lot of it is news to me. Like, I never would think of so many of these great suggestions. What are some resources available for creating healthier meals, like ideas?

Bettina Tahsin, MS: Yeah. So fortunately, we live in a very resource-rich environment. So obviously, the most obvious that most people will think of is there's Google, there's social media, there's YouTube. If I see a vegetable in the supermarket where I'm like, "Oh, I know the name of this. I saw kohlrabi, what the heck do I do with kohlrabi?" I just put it into Google, and hundreds of different suggestions will come out. One suggestion that maybe families should consider is also maybe taking cooking classes together. Husbands, wives, adult mother with their older mother cooking together. Finding some new ideas. If for the children, advocating for home ec classes, having kids take cooking classes, there are some family programs that they could access. The family that learns to cook together can have a more enjoyable time together or maybe even the cooking classes. Maybe grandma is the great cook in the family. Let her lead and teach how we can all cook together so I can learn some of her recipes so that we can carry on some of the delicious food she's made for us in the past. But also, get people cooking because again, these are family meals and the family should be contributing in making these meals and feel confident in making these meals.

Host: I love that idea to cook together. My sister put together all the recipes of my grandmother that someone in the family between the five of us, we all knew how to make. And, you know, she's long gone, but we have her cookbook, which is so special. So, I love that idea too. Anything in closing that we didn't cover that you'd like to share, Bettina?

Bettina Tahsin, MS: I would just like to reiterate again. A family meal is made with the family. What is really important and what reduces a lot of the stress in this is planning. You know, planning what are we going to eat in the week ahead and talking about which are the days that we're going to be cooking and eating together, which are the days that maybe we do take out or reuse some of the leftovers, who's going to cook what meals. Maybe I have some teenagers in the house and I say, "Thursday night, you guys get to decide, you get to cook." It's their night to shine. But planning ahead really helps in terms of alleviating the stress of what we're going to be eating.

And again, listen and talk. with the family in terms of what do you enjoy, no judgment. Family meals are also a great time to develop and reinforce positive attitudes around what constitute health in an environment where people are not feeling anxious about what they're eating or not eating.

Host: That's so true. On a closing note, how do you feel about banning cell phones from the dinner table when you're eating with your family?

Bettina Tahsin, MS: As I mentioned, yes, definitely I want to be removing distractions. Cell phones, definitely no. TV, no. Tablet, no. Family meals are about family and living in real life.

Host: Thank you so much for this truly invaluable and useful information. We appreciate it and you making time to be here and share it.

Bettina Tahsin, MS: Great. Thank you so much.

Host: Again, that's Bettina Tahsen. As we wrap up another insightful episode of Total Health Talks, make sure to visit cookcountyhealth.org/podcast and subscribe to our podcast, share, and connect with us on social media. Stay tuned for more engaging discussions. This is Maggie McKay, signing off from Total Health Talks. Stay well.