Benefits of Family Meals

Studies show that it's clear that families benefit from mealtime, not only from a nutritional perspective, but also from an emotional perspective as well.

According to a 2004 study by the University of Minnesota and published in the Archives of Pediactric and Adolescent Medicine, researchers found adolescents who ate frequent family meals did better in school and had better nutritional intake. They were also less likely to use drugs and alcohol and less likely to have symptoms of depression or physical problems. Family meals were associated with fewer mental health problems, such as low self- esteem, depression, and suicidal tendancies.

In 2000, the largest federally funded study of teens, "Teens and Their Parents in the 21st Century: An Examination of Trends in Teen Behavior and the Role of Parental Involvement," discovered a strong link between regular family meals (five or more dinners per week with a parent) and academic success, psychological adjustment, lower rates of substance abuse, early sexual behavior, and suicidal risk, both for one parent and two parent families.

A Harvard study published in the March 2000 Archives of Family Medicine showed that eating family dinners together most or all days of the week is associated with eating more healthfully. These families generally consumed higher amounts of calcium, fiber, iron, vitamins B6 and B12, C and E, and consumed less fat compared to families who "never" or "only sometimes" eat meals together.

A 1999 University of Michigan study found that more meal time at home was the single strongest predictor of better achievement scores and fewer behavioral problems.

Another University of Minnesota study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that children who ate family meals consumed more fruits, vegetables and fewer snack foods than children who ate separately from their families.

A 1994 Lou Harris-Reader’s Digest national poll of high school seniors showed higher scholastic scores among students who frequently ate meals with their families. And a survey of high-achieving teens showed that those who regularly eat meals with their families tend to be happier with their present life and their prospects for the future.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says "Regularly sitting down for a meal with your children is one way to connect and be involved with what's happening in their lives."

Give your family the best they deserve.

Healthy Recipes, Grocery Lists, & Meal Plans
for Real People who want to eat Real Food