Do This One Thing 3x a Week to Improve Nutrition, Mental Health, and Connection
The secret to feeling better might already be in your kitchen.
It’s hard to believe we’ve turned the calendar to September. Labor Day always feels like that gentle pivot point. Summer’s still hanging on, but fall routines are starting to take shape. Maybe the kids are back in school, the pace is picking up a bit, and we’re all settling into a new groove.
It’s also the start of two celebrations we love: National Family Meals Month and National Fruits & Veggies Month. A nice reminder that even as the fall gets busy, there’s a lot of value in slowing down enough to enjoy a good meal with others.
At Fully Mediterranean, we believe food is about so much more than what’s on your plate. It’s about connection, comfort, and making space, even if just for a few minutes, to check in with those you care about and share the day.
The Hidden Health Benefits of Eating Together
When we think about healthy eating, it’s easy to focus on nutrients — fiber, protein, vitamins — and those things matter. But how we eat, and who we eat with, plays just as big a role in our overall health.
Here’s what the research is showing:
Better nutrition: Eating with others is linked to more balanced meals — think more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and home-cooked dishes. When we eat together, we tend to make more nourishing choices.
Improved emotional well-being: A shared meal can do wonders for your mood. Sitting down together, even for a quick dinner, has been shown to reduce stress and help us feel more connected.
Stronger relationships: Mealtime creates space for conversation and connection. Whether it’s catching up on the day or simply being together, that regular check-in strengthens bonds over time.
Mental health support: Studies show that people who eat with others regularly experience lower levels of depression and loneliness, along with a greater sense of belonging.
More mindful eating: When we eat together, we tend to slow down. That gives us a chance to really taste our food, listen to our hunger cues, and enjoy the experience, not just the food.
For families with kids and teens, it’s even more important: Eating dinner together at least 3 or 4 times per week has positive effects on child development and has been linked to children’s lower rates of overweight and obesity, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, depression, and eating disorders, higher self-esteem, and better academic performance.
This Month, We're Celebrating the People Behind the Plates
To honor Family Meals Month, we’re highlighting a few of our favorite people. When we need fresh ideas for meals, to feel good, or simply to make healthy living easier, we turn to them.
And we’re starting with someone I’ve admired for years: Ellie Krieger.
A Bit About Ellie:
Host and executive producer of the cooking series “Ellie’s Real Good Food” on Public Television and well known from her hit Food Network show “Healthy Appetite,” Ellie Krieger is the leading go-to nutritionist in the media today, helping people find the sweet spot where “delicious” and “healthy” meet.
Ellie Krieger is a New York Times bestselling author, IACP and two-time James Beard Foundation award winner, with seven cookbooks to her name. She writes a weekly column for The Washington Post and has contributed to Fine Cooking, Food Network Magazine, and USA Today.
Follow her on Substack:
As a registered dietitian, I’ve long admired the way Ellie Krieger has inspired our profession. One of my favorite memories is her session at our annual Food and Nutrition Conference here in Houston in 2014, where she encouraged us to “put our aprons back on” and reclaim our role as food and culinary professionals.
That call to action was transformative. It reignited a focus on food and cooking within our field. Something I’ve carried forward in my own work ever since.
At Fully Mediterranean, our approach is very similar to Ellie’s: helping people find that sweet spot where delicious and healthy come together.
We’re thrilled to feature one of her recipes this week. A recipe showing just how simple it is to create a complete meal in minutes.
Ellie’s Layered Farro Salad Recipe
Perfect for fall and winter, this farro salad is hearty, nourishing, and full of texture, with nutty farro, tender kale, sweet grapes, crunchy walnuts, and creamy feta. Serve it in a big bowl for gatherings or portion it into jars for easy, grab-and-go lunches. A wholesome, feel-good recipe you’ll want on repeat.
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1 cup farro
1 1/4 cups walnut pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups shredded kale leaves
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 1/4 cups crumbled feta cheese (6 ounces)
2 cups quartered red or black grapes
Directions
Cook the farro according to the directions on the package. Drain well, then place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool, then chop.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Place the kale in a medium bowl, add half of the dressing, and toss to combine. Add the onion, parsley, and remaining dressing to the farro and toss to combine.
To assemble the salad, place the farro in the bottom of a large glass bowl, patting down slightly. Add the kale on top. Sprinkle with the feta cheese. Then layer with the grapes and finally the walnuts. Alternatively, make individual salads by layering the ingredients in wide-mouthed 12-ounce (500 ml) jars.
PURPOSEful next steps:
Plan three meals with others each week. Whether it’s a sit-down dinner, a Saturday brunch, a quick lunch with a coworker, a virtual breakfast, or even a potluck where everyone brings a dish.
Cook with your family. Invite the kids into the kitchen, or make dinner prep a team effort. It turns mealtime into connection time.
Start small. Even one shared meal can make a difference. Build from there, and before long, it will feel like a natural rhythm.