Editor’s Note

Last February, baystateparent published its first-ever “Food Issue.” We highlighted a local restaurant that offered babysitting while parents dined, a proposed food allergy law at Bay State eateries, and tips for taking your kids out to eat.

This year, things are pretty different. While food will always be a central part of our lives — not just for sustenance, but for its ties to our traditions, culture and family — the events of the past year made us look at this topic from a different angle.

Research has shown that 30%-35% of families often eat fewer than three meals a week together, but coronavirus pandemic has perhaps changed that for the better. Since last spring, families have reported eating more meals together, and the benefits of that are proven. Studies have found that eating together as a family helps children with selfesteem, success in school, and lowers the risk for depression. According to the Family Meals Movement, lower rates of childhood obesity are associated with kids eating meals with their families.

While that’s a silver lining, we know the pandemic has also uprooted food systems. It has led to grocery store shortages and devastated the restaurant industry. And perhaps most troubling, it’s left more families facing food insecurity than ever before.

According to Feeding America, a national nonprofit and network of over 200 food banks, the hunger rate is up 59% in Massachusetts since 2018, and one in five children in the state are food insecure. Since the start of the pandemic, the Bay State has seen the highest increase in the food insecurity rate in the country.

On page 13, you can find information about how local organizations are working to meet this demand; along with how you can help or what you can do if your family is in need.

It’s more than just food banks and pantries that are stepping up, as a nationwide grassroots effort to feed families — and give exhausted parents a break — is spreading throughout the state. On page 11, you can meet two “Lasagna Mamas” — women who are working with a California-based nonprofit to share love and yumminess with their neighbors through trays of homemade lasagna.

In this issue you’ll also find ideas for keeping your teens from eating you out of house and home, our favorite kids’ cooking subscription boxes, and, as always, your monthly go-to lists and reads.

Dig in!

Amanda

In the last year, our young children have had to transition not only to wearing masks but also seeing strangers wear masks, distance learning, and staying away from friends and family. But a new picture book out this month, “Sharing a Smile,” by Nicki Kramar, is offering a brighter perspective on these difficult times. It’s a timely and charming tale about mask-wearing and the power of small acts of kindness.

Over the course of the pandemic, my family found a new penchant for birdwatching and my son and I have enjoyed making various feeders for our feathered friends. This Cheerio Bird Feeder couldn’t be easier — all you need is some cereal and a pipe cleaner. Thread the Cheerios onto the pipe cleaner, bend it into a shape you like, and dangle from a tree.

Looking for some screen-free indoor fun? I’m loving these handson books full of unfinished stories for children of all ages. “Once Upon Pancake” contains 20 stories with writing prompts that kids and parents can write and draw together. Young kids can write about superheroes, princesses and trucks, while older kids can write about saving the galaxy, sports and more. There are three books to choose from, for ages 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

Three moms have created mask play sets for children called Kadoodle Kids. There are four different box sets with masks, markers, glitter pens and stamps so kids can design their own wares during the pandemic. Find them at kadoodlekids.com.