Commit to more family meals

Spending moments together with loved ones carries obvious benefits like time to catch up and opportunities to bond, but sharing meals actually provides definitive value for families. With restricted social interactions and confinement at home due to COVID-19, many families face meal challenges that have shifted from juggling busy schedules to seeking new ways to mix up the traditional menu or using digital solutions to reconnect at a virtual table.

A study published in the “Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior” funded by the FMI Foundation shows more frequent family meals are associated with better dietary and family functioning outcomes. The results build on years of previous research studies to punctuate the creation of the Family Meals Movement, which encourages Americans to pledge to share one more family breakfast, lunch or dinner at home per week. This delicious German Fruit Tart is sure to please the whole family.

Find tips, recipes and ways to increase family meal frequency at familymealsmovement.org.

German Fruit Tart

Recipe courtesy of Deanna Segrave-Daly on behalf of the FMI Foundation

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon half-and-half or cream

1/8 teaspoon almond extract or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, thinly sliced

cornstarch

sliced strawberries

sliced kiwi

sliced banana

blueberries

2 teaspoons turbinado or powdered sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make crust, beat together flours, sugar, egg, half-and-half and almond extract. Add butter slices and mix together until sticky ball of dough forms. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes.

On heavily floured surface, knead dough a few times and roll out to fit greased 10-inch tart pan.

Carefully spread dough into tart pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until tart starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.

Dust crust with cornstarch to help fruit stick to crust. Arrange strawberries, kiwi, banana and blueberries on top of crust; sprinkle with sugar, if desired.