This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hormel Foods. All opinions are 100% mine. Take 20 minutes to toss this Chicken Lo Mein together and enjoy it with the family.
How often do you sit down for dinner as a family? While growing up my mom always made it a priority to make dinner every night and have us kids sit up to the table to enjoy it together. I have continued to have family dinner with my own little family and thought most people did this but sadly from a poll taken in 2013, only 30% of families have dinner together every night. (1)
Did you know that family meals have actually been found to benefit the health and wellness of children, fight obesity and substance abuse, as well as make families stronger?I believe it really was those family meals that helped us become closer as a family since it gave us a chance to take a break from our busy day and converse. We even experienced the other benefits as all my family members are healthy and none ever abused drugs.
But if I’m not enough to convince you to have family meals more often, here are a few facts (citations are at the end of this post):
- Adolescents who participate in even one or two family meals per week are less likely to be overweight or obese in adulthood compared to adolescents who never participate in family meals. (2)
- When people cook most of their meals at home, they consume fewer carbohydrates, less sugar and less fat than those who cook less or not at all. (3)
- With each additional family meal shared each week, adolescents are less likely to show symptoms of depression, less likely to use/abuse drugs and less likely to engage in delinquent acts. (4)
Creating stronger families doesn’t just benefit the family but all of society as a whole. So, I encourage you to make the effort to have family dinner more. To help you, I’ve whipped up this quick and easy Chicken Lo Mein that your entire family will love. Just the smell of this yummy dish will make your family gather around the table and make them not want to leave.
This meal takes just 20 minutes to make thanks to Hormel’s House of Tsang Stir-Fry Sauce. You can find this sauce along with other flavor varieties in the Asian aisle of your local grocery store.
Finding time to make dinner for the family can be hard but it is so worth it. September is National Family Meals Month so I challenge you to have family meals at least three times a week. I think you’ll find that you really enjoy it.
To find more Easy Recipe Ideas that will help you get dinner to the table quickly check out my 30-minutes meals and Visit Hormel Foods so your family can share in the benefits of family meal time.
Everyone has to eat so why not do it together as a family?!
Chicken Lo Mein
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 chicken breasts, sliced thin
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
- 1 cup snow peas
- 4 green onions
- 1 cup House of Tsang Stir-Fry Sauce
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package and drain.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, bell peppers, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally until done.
- Add snow peas and green onions and cook 1-2 more minutes until wilted.
- Mix the stir fry chicken and veggies with the noodles and the sauce. Serve immediately.
1. Wolfson, J. and Bleich, S. (2014). Is cooking at home associated with better diet quality or weight-loss intention? Public Health Nutrition, Published online 17 November 2014.
2. Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2010). Family meals and adolescents: what have we learned from project EAT (eating amount teens)? Public Health Nutrition, 13 (7).
3. Wolfson, J. and Bleich, S. (2014). Is cooking at home associated with better diet quality or weight-loss intention? Public Health Nutrition, Published online 17 November 2014.
4. Meier, A. and Musick, K. (2014). Variation in associations between family dinners and adolescent well-being. Journal of Marriage and Family, 76 (1).
Teresa Miller says
I make this a couple times a month.. everyone loves it..I upped the veggies by adding fresh broccoli florets, and fresh sliced mushrooms, I have also added shrimp and chicken.. versatile and it all gets eaten. Great for lunch the next day! Glad I pinned this!
Thank-you for sharing.
Melanie says
Broccoli, mushrooms and shrimp sound like a great addition! I’ll have to add those next time I make it. Thanks Teresa! 🙂
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
No excuse for takeout with this recipe! So delicious and healthy 🙂
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says
Yum! This looks fabulous!