In September, pledge to prepare safe and healthy family meals

ROGERSVILLE - September is National Food Safety Education and National Family Meals month, and multiple studies show that home-cooked meals nourish the spirit, brain and health of all family members.

Preparing healthy and safe meals at home is made easy with new resources from the non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education and the Food Marketing Institute Foundation.

To mark both events, PFSE has released four easy recipes that include food safety instructions and will support families in preparing family meals at home.

Recipes for Rosemary Turkey Meatloaf; Roasted Garlic Cauliflower; Maple Syrup Pork Chops; and Tex-Mex Potato Skins can be found at fightbac.org.

Each recipe includes food safety instructions built right in. Other resources at fightbac.org can get you started with family meal planning and with modeling for all family members important safe food handling and preparation behaviors.

According to the Food Marketing Institute Foundation, there are many benefits to families in making and sharing meals at home:

The more meals families share, the better their nutrition.

Kids and teens who eat meals with their families 4 or more times per week earn better test scores and succeed in school.

Frequent family meals increase self-esteem, sense of wellbeing, positive social behaviors and stronger family connections.

The more families share meals the less likely their kids are to drink alcohol, smoke or use marijuana.

UT-TSU Extension urges families in Hawkins County to pledge to prepare one additional family meal per week.