Why families should eat dinner together

Over three decades of research have shown that regular family meals offer a wide variety of physical, social-emotional and academic benefits. While some of these benefits can be gained through other activities, eating together is the only single activity that is known to provide all of them at the same time. We recommend combining food, fun and conversation at mealtimes because those three ingredients are the recipe for a warm, positive family dinner — the type of environment that makes these scientifically proven benefits possible.

Anne K. The dinner table can act as a unifier, a place of community. Sharing a meal is an excuse to catch up and talk, one of the few times where people are happy to put aside their work and take time out of their day. After all, it is rare that we Americans grant ourselves pleasure over productivity just look at the fact that the average American works nearly hours more per year than the average Frenchman.

In many countries, mealtime is treated as sacred. In France, for instance, while it is acceptable to eat by oneself, one should never rush a meal. In many Mexican cities, townspeople will eat together with friends and family in central areas like parks or town squares.

In Cambodia, villagers spread out colorful mats and bring food to share with loved ones like a potluck. In , Elizabeth David, who was recognized as the sort of soul-stirring American culinary evangelist du moment, as perhaps Alice Waters or David Lebovitz is today, published A Book of Mediterranean Food.

She wrote that great food is simple. In one particularly salient passage, she writes:. Her equation for physical and psychological well-being is easy: Eat simply and eat together. For the average American family, who now spends nearly as much money on fast food as they do on groceries, this simplicity is not so easily achieved.

Perhaps the root of this problem is cultural misperception. Kids also experience stronger high-quality relationships with their parents when they eat dinner together night after night. This is especially crucial as kids reach adolescence since parental engagement has long been shown to be the greatest influence on whether teens will choose to use substances such as alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in high school.

If you would like to share more family dinners, there are plenty of resources to get you started, including the Family Dinner Project's 4 Weeks to Better Family Dinner.

This free online program tackles family dinner from every angle, including easy, fast and healthy recipes , topics to talk about with your kids and ways to make the experience enjoyable for everyone.

No electronics at the dinner table. This includes a television in the background. Technology discourages family interaction and should be kept away during this time—no exceptions. As a parent, make sure to model this behavior too.

Let the fun start before dinner! Children will be more engaged at the table if you involve them beforehand. Whether it's washing produce or setting the table, show them they are a part of putting the meal together.

This can also teach them about responsibility and improve their cooking skills. Leave negative food talk behind. Studies have shown that restrictive behavior in parents may actually increase a child's weight. Be careful about what you say at the dinner table, and stay away from negative talk about food and their bodies. Have a few conversation starters ready to go. If you're new to family dinners, they can feel a little forced at the beginning.

This is normal! Come to the table with a few questions to ask, and don't put pressure on the resulting conversation.