Froyo Friday: Create a Food Ritual

The Importance of Food

Food has always been central to my life. In my family, cooking is an expression of love, and sharing a meal is the embodiment of the fondness and affection we have for one another. Studies have shown that having a ritual actually increases your enjoyment of the actual food being consumed – and I believe it. Both looking forward to, and looking back on, my various food rituals absolutely enhances my life more than what the food actually tasted like.

With Friends

When I get together with my sister for a “sleepover” trip (where one of us is sleeping at the other’s house), whether it’s with our mom, our friends, or our husbands, we always say, “Pig-Out Party!” Both of us are pretty careful about what we eat, but when we get together for a night in front of the TV, it is our excuse to go to the store and buy ALL the snacks and treats we want to try but normally wouldn’t bring home. Most people would be disappointed in actually witnessing the Pig-Out Party because we generally get full before we’re even able to make much of a dent in the snacks, but we have fun trying a little bit of everything.

With Your Partner

When Jeremy and I go out of town for a couple of nights without the kids, one of our rituals is to order a delicious dessert (one that travels well – this is key), bring it back to our hotel room, and eat it in bed while we watch a movie. It is such a treat because this is something we would never, ever do at home.

With Your Kids

One weekend when I was out of town and Jeremy was home with the kids, I came home and Noah told me, “Mom, Friday was Froyo Friday!” The idea stuck, and we rarely miss a Froyo Friday, even if we’re out of town. I pick the kids up from school, we come home and play for a little while (no cooking is involved in Froyo Friday), and then we go out for pizza and/or burgers and walk right next door to the frozen yogurt place. I’ve come to really look forward to Froyo Friday every week even if I’m not exactly in the mood for another burger.

What Are Your Food Rituals?

Most of us already have food rituals, like having a cup of coffee together in the morning before work, or having cake and ice cream on your kids’ birthdays. So I’m going to challenge you to try creating a new food ritual with your spouse, your kids, or a friend and report back on what you came up with, and how it’s going!