Dinner’s on theTABLE!
We all know that families should eat together, but sometimes it’s tough to find the time. Work, school, sports practices and other obligations all seem to get in the way. But studies show that families who dine at home together are happier and healthier. Whether your family mealtime happens every night or only once a week, in the morning before school or late at night just for dessert, it’s important to take advantage of whatever opportunity you have to nourish the mind, soul and stomach of everyone at the table. Keep reading for some fresh ideas for planning family meals, keeping everyone healthy, sparking meaningful conversations and taking the stress out of the family table.
TIP: THE KEY IS TOGETHERNESS, NOT TIMING.
Why it matters
In the United States, about 70 percent of meals are consumed outside the home and about 20 percent are eaten in the car. About half of American families rarely have family dinner, according to Harvard University’s Family Dinner Project. Kiwi families are doing a little better, with a 2018 study suggesting 56 percent of families had dinner together at least five nights a week.
Decades of research have shown that children who regularly eat dinner with their families at home do better on a number of health measures. When kids eat with their parents, they are more likely to have:
• More fruits and vegetables, fewer soft drinks.
• Lower rates of obesity as both children and adults.
• Higher self-esteem and a more positive outlook.
• Lower rates of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, school behavioural problems and depression.
• A better body image and fewer eating disorders.
• Better grades, higher reading scores and a better vocabulary.
Pick a meal
You have more chances than you realise to connect with your family at the table. During the work week, most families have two opportunities a day to dine together (breakfast and dinner) and three chances (breakfast, lunch and dinner) on the weekends. That gives us a total of 16 meal opportunities a week to connect with our families. Anne Fishel, a Harvard Medical School associate clinical professor of psychology and co-founder of the Family Dinner Project, says the goal should not be to hit some magic number for family meals, but to find as many dining opportunities together as possible and make the most of them.
“When I work with families, I tell them, ‘How about having one great meal or one good-enough meal, and see where that takes you?’” says Anne.
“The secret sauce of family dinner is the conversation, the games and the fun at the table.”
PROS AND CONS OF FAMILY MEAL OPTIONS:
• BREAKFAST
PROS: Morning is often the only time everyone is together, and kids love breakfast food. A study of 8000 children in Europe showed that kids who ate breakfast with parents five or more days a week were 40 percent less likely to be overweight than their peers.
CONS: Mornings can be rushed. (Harvard’s Family Table Project estimates that many families only have about 10 minutes for breakfast). Kids may be sleepy and not as engaged in conversation.
• LUNCH
PROS: Usually simple and faster; great for picnics.
Just two chances a week for most working
