Disclosure: I partnered with Live Well Omaha Kids for this post. Any opinions are 100% my own.

When I was younger, I remember sitting around the dinner table, and sharing in our family meal. We would share stories about our day, and enjoy my Mom’s delicious home-cooked meals. Even if one of us had soccer practice, there was still a special meal time for those who were at home.

Today, many families try to do the same for their own families, but with a combination of many factors, it becomes a little bit of a challenge.

To help families, this week has been designated as Family Dining Week, and families are invited to take the pledge to cook and eat at home together more as a family!

What are the benefits of Family Dining?

1. Healthier meals – When we eat at home, we try to make an effort to have a balanced meal with a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, in addition to a healthier main course.

2. Sharing stories – Our family loves to share ‘Rose & Thorn’. We each take a turn going around the table sharing what our thorn of the day was (a challenging or difficult part of our day) and our Rose (a great part of the day). We also share what we are thankful for. This offers a great opportunity to listen to one another and learn more about each other’s day.

3. Cooking can be fun! Try cooking together as a family, and involve your kids in helping with meal planning for the week. They can help prepare the meal, set the table and clean up afterwards. If the kids are involved in helping select the dinner and preparing it, they are more likely to eat what is prepared.

4. Save money. Eating out can get expensive, and the savings of eating at home can really add up. (Tip: Follow Mom Saves Money for her weekly local coupon matchups and grocery deals to even save more at the grocery store.)

Take the Pledge

Families are encouraged to take the “Family Dining Pledge.” The pledge asks families to list how many days they currently eat at home and then how many they plan to eat at home after learning about the benefits of family dining. After taking the pledge, families will receive support including recipes and expert advice to make this healthy habit easy and fun.

Plus, families who take the pledge during Omaha Family Dining Week will be entered to win prizes that encourage healthy eating and being active together – like a family membership to the YMCA, a 4-pack of tickets to the Zoo, Hy-Vee gift cards and more!

Live Well Omaha Kids will offer tips and recipes all week on its blog. Also, find Live Well Omaha Kids on Facebook and Twitter for useful Family Dining tips, such as:

1. No screens allowed at the dinner table

2. Make dinnertime a positive atmosphere

3. Make it easy and fun

4. Offer healthy choices

5. Involve the whole family in the meal preparation, cooking or clean up

Are you ready to take the pledge?

After taking the pledge, visit these Omaha Bloggers to enter to win a $15 Hy-Vee Gift Card thanks to Live Well Omaha Kids!

• Coolest Mommy’s Coolest Thoughts
• Liv Laugh Love
• Sensory Mama Saving Cents
• Mom Saves Money
• Midwest Mammas
• Oh My! Omaha
• Making Mine
• Curtain and Pen

Disclosure: I partnered with Live Well Omaha Kids for this post. Any opinions are 100% my own.