Health Benefits Of Family Meals

Family dinners became most popular in the 18th century, when dining rooms, and dining tables became normal in most every American home. Eating meals together as a family can have benefits for all family members no matter what age. Sharing in a meal does not have to be limited to dinner. It can be any meal where everyone from the family can gather together. Currently about only 30% of families claim to eat together on a regular basis. There are lots of things that can cause you to not be able to sit down altogether. Busyness seems to be the biggest excuse for families whether that is from having to work extra jobs, extracurriculars for children, or unpredictable schedules. Despite the excuses, the benefits of having family dinner together may be reason enough to start making time to sit together and share a meal.

One of the benefits of eating together is it encourages healthier eating habits. This is especially true in teenagers and children. Kids and teens will get more fruits and vegetables when eating with the family. They are also less likely to consume too many sugary beverages and less fat foods. When the meal is homemade it can be better nutrition all around for all family members. When meals are homemade it has shown to decrease obesity in adults as well as children. Switching one to two meals a week of home-cooked foods can reduce the risk of weight trouble in children.

Family meals can also help prevent mental disorders. Studies have shown that when a family eats together regularly family members are less likely to develop eating disorders, alcohol or substance abuse, violent behavior, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, or depression. The constant parental engagement helps children to open up to their parents. About 91% of families in 2022 said when they ate meals together the family was overall less stressed. Family meals can also lower the risk of bullying in children. This is also because of the constant parental engagement. The open communication allows children to learn they can discuss things at a shared meal time more openly and safely.

Talking, sharing stories, and telling about your days can help your children increase and improve their vocabulary and language skills. Preschoolers who sit down with the family for family meals tend to have a bigger vocabulary. That connection and communication help improve communication skills. It can also help children have fewer social-emotional conflicts at school or with others their own age. Having a boost in language skills can give your child more confidence in making friendships with peers their own age as well. It has also been studied that eating family meals together can help your child perform better academically.

Showing your child that you can listen and truly value what they share at meal times can boost respect in families. This can help boost your child’s self-esteem overall. Allowing your children to be a part of making family dinners possible can also help boost self-esteem. This can be setting the table, helping cook dinner, putting them in charge of a side dish, chopping fruits or vegetables, or cleaning up afterwards.

To make sure you reap the benefits of eating a family meal together it is important that it is a screen free zone. No phones, Ipads, or televisions or it defeats the whole purpose of connecting with one another. Family meals are also not a time to become your child’s number one investigator. Probing your child for information can make meals feel tense. Allow your child to share what they want. There are other times you can push them to share information, maybe not in front of the whole family. During meals try to avoid having unrealistic expectations. Your meal does not have to look like a movie or photo. It can be everyone sitting and eating cereal together. While family meals are a good time to teach your children polite manners while eating, it doesn’t mean you have to nag them the whole time. Family meals should be a safe, comforting time that your children look forward to and are glad for.

It can be hard to make time for family meals. Remember it doesn’t have to be dinner. It can be breakfast before everyone goes to work or school. If your schedule allows it, maybe lunch is the best time before your evenings get so busy with extracurriculars. It doesn’t even have to be the same meal every day. Weekends maybe lunch is best, but during the work week dinners work best. Schedule your meals. This can help you work around extracurriculars and find times either before or after where everyone can sit down together. Family meals don’t always have to include everyone, every night. Keep it simple it does not have to be a three course meal. Planning and preparing meals in advance can also help save time. Making meals that can be put in the crock pot in the morning and ready whenever you need it can also be beneficial with crazy evening schedules.

Involve your children in the meal time process. Either brainstorm meal ideas, or have your older children pick a night they cook dinner for the rest of the family. For younger pickier children plan one meal a week with something they love to avoid battling the picky eater battle every meal. If you have younger children who have trouble sitting for a long time to share a meal try coming up with a game the whole family can participate in. This can be a category game, sharing something you are grateful for, or taking turns sharing about your days.