Make Mealtimes Meaningful with Conversation Cards

Mealtimes can be a lot of fun when you focus on conversation and togetherness.

There are numerous benefits to family meals, but getting everyone around the table at the same time is hard - and can often feel more like a chore than an experience to enjoy.

But what if everyone wanted to gather around the table for a meal, and did so, with joy?

Make Mealtimes Enjoyable with Non-Food Conversations

Shifting table talk from food and eating to non-food related conversations can help make mealtimes motivating and meaningful. While it might seem counterintuitive, talking about food during mealtimes actually puts added pressure on kids (and other family members) to eat. The anticipation and excitement of food quickly turns into stress when they are unable or unwilling to eat, which in turn creates a negative association with the eating experience--and that's not good for anyone!

Conversely, non-food conversations during mealtimes take the pressure away, and instead teach children to talk and listen, while promoting connection and family bonding. Socialization during family meals helps boost self-confidence, self-esteem, and helps children develop a healthier relationship with food and body.

Try These Mealtime Conversation Cards at Your Next Family Meal!

Mealtime conversations that have nothing to do with food can be a fun and enjoyable experience for the whole family. To get started, try these mealtime conversation cards! They're perfect for getting everyone around the table and talking about anything and everything. One set of cards is pre-filled for you as examples, and another set is blank so that you can create your own and customize the conversation topics for your family.

Click below to download the printable PDF!

Mealtime Conversation Cards.pdf

Download PDF • 190KB

Instructions:

Cut out the conversation cards and have each family member take a turn answering a question or a prompt. Create your own conversation starters using the blank cards provided!

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Hi! I’m Beth.

I’m a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, and Mom of 3 little ones. As a pediatric and family dietitian, I use a gentle, Intuitive Eating-based approach to help children/families, adolescents, and adults overcome feeding disorders, disordered eating, and eating disorders. Through individualized care, I help clients optimize their health and improve mealtime enjoyment, while healing their relationship with food and body. Get in touch! Contact | Welcome to FTSN!

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