Family meals allow parents and children to communicate, prepare and share healthy foods. Children who frequently share meals with their families have better nutrition and eating behaviors, such as consuming more vegetables and less fast food. Also, their parents exhibit fewer dieting behaviors for weight control and less disordered eating patterns due to more frequent consumption of healthy foods.
Family meals allow parents and children to communicate, prepare and share healthy foods. Children who frequently share meals with their families have better nutrition and eating behaviors, such as consuming more vegetables and less fast food. Also, their parents exhibit fewer dieting behaviors for weight control and less disordered eating patterns due to more frequent consumption of healthy foods.
A recent study on family meals showed that families with preschoolers who frequently ate meals together had a greater connection and more positive engagement. Parents reported that eating meals as a family encouraged better social and emotional health and promoted their mental well-being. Additionally, parents who maintained frequent family meals and shared regular mealtimes with their children exhibited better self-esteem and fewer depressive symptoms than parents who did not. Furthermore, families who eat meals together as a routine reported increased feelings of parenting competence and marital satisfaction. Parents also reported higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially among those who had family meals 3-6 times per week.
Take home message: Eating meals as a family not only provides nutritional benefits for parents and children, but also can improve parents’ mental health and well-being. It is important to remember that eating meals together can look different for each family. However, the act of coming together for a meal between family members can build emotional connections and help to improve overall nutrition and health.
Reference: Utter J, Larson N, Berge JM, Eisenberg ME, Fulkerson JA, Neumark-Sztainer D. Family meals among parents: Associations with nutritional, social and emotional wellbeing. Prev Med. 2018;113:7-12. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.05.006
