During your divorce, you’re probably pressed for time; between work, kids and meetings with your Toronto divorce lawyer, there are probably mere moments left to spare before you collapse into bed at night. That might mean it’s pretty tempting to eat fast food, order delivery or simply stop by your favourite restaurant when dinnertime hits… but dining out may be one of the worst things you can do—both for your body and your family.
Calories, Fat and the Way You Feel
It’s no secret that a diet consisting of fast, easy food can leave you feeling run-down and can contribute to long-term health problems. Loads of sugar gives you an immediate rush, but the crash-and-burn after-effects are inevitable; fats can clog up your arteries and increase your clothing sizes while making you feel lethargic.
It’s okay to have an occasional fast-food dinner, pizza or an evening at your favourite restaurant. However, making a habit of dining out, particularly during high-stress times such as divorce, can put more on your plate than you bargained for.
Slowing Down for Your Kids
Lots of professionals tout the benefits of having family dinners together. While you can do that with fast food or at a restaurant, eating together at home can teach your kids about priorities and health-smart food choices.
Fresh Alternatives
While there’s no perfect solution for family dinners during divorce, there are a few things you can do to make it easier to connect:
- Let your crock pot log some cooking hours. There are hundreds of fast and easy crock pot recipes that can simplify your life. Put in your ingredients, turn on the power, and go about your day. Your piping hot food will be ready when you are.
- Blend family time and dinnertime. Start a new family tradition, like Taco Thursdays or Fresh Food Fridays, that includes a whole-family effort to prepare, cook and enjoy dinner (and make sure kids are involved in the clean-up for an added bonus).
- If your kids are old enough, delegate dinner responsibilities. Gathering ingredients, setting the table, cooking and cleaning up can all serve as separate tasks for each child, and you’ll find that many hands really does make light work.
Every family is different; extracurricular activities or your custody agreement might make it tough to carve out time for dinner together, so be flexible. While fast food is convenient, remember that its long-lasting effects can cause issues for you and your kids if you go overboard.
