Family Meals Matter

Our church encourages us to eat meals together as a family. See what researchers say about the benefits of family meals (from this article, Cooking Light, November 2008).

“Families who eat together have healthier, more balanced diets. Making family mealtime a priority not only improves everyone’s physical health, but it also contributes to their overall well-being and mental health.” --Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, LDN, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Physical Health Benefits:
More meals prepared and eaten together means better nutrition, more control over what’s eaten, and less weight gain for the whole family.
[Researchers] found [adolescents] who dined often with their families ate more produce, routinely ate breakfast, and drank less soda as young adults.
Ellyn Satter, MS, RD, LCSW, a family therapist and author, says: “People who grab food when they happen to think about it or absentmindedly snack instead of taking the time to sit down and eat don’t do as well with diet quality and weight maintenance.”

Emotional Health Benefits:
A 2004 Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine study found families who regularly eat together are closer than those who eat separately.
[This] study showed that children who regularly dine with their families spend more time involved in academic pursuits, such as homework and reading. Also, those who frequently ate with their families had better grades and lower rates of depression, and they were less likely to use alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs. And girls from homes where family meals were the norm had higher self-esteem and fewer eating disorders.