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Benefits of Family Meal - Facts And Information Value Of Family Meals

Maryam Malekian • MS, Registered Dietitian • May 14, 2012
 

According to research, sharing family dinner on a routine basis is associated with improved children’s health and stronger family bonds. Also, children who are familiar with their family culture and history, through family meals, had a closer relationship to family members, higher self-esteem, and a greater sense of control over their own lives. Studies show that families, who sit together for mealtime at least 3 or 4 times a week, benefit in many ways.*

 

 

Benefits of Eating Together As A Family

  • Open communication: One of the benefits of eating meals together is to achieve open communication and build stronger and healthier family relationships. For younger children, having routine family meals can provide a sense of security and a feeling of belonging in the family.
family mealtime
  • Better Academic Performance: According to new research, students who eat with their families three to five times a week are more likely to get better grades in school and much less likely to have substance abuse problems. Family meal is valuable for children. It allows them to have better language skills since they hear adult conversations around the table.*
 
  • Better Nutrition: According to a Harvard study "children who ate family dinners more frequently had more healthy eating habits”, even when they are not at home.* They also typically "consume more vegetables, fruit and juice, and less soda."* *
 
  • Better Knowledge of Family Culture: In general, family meals reflect the ethnic, cultural, or religious heritage of the family. What the family eats, how they eat, and when they eat is a representation of family’s cultural identity. As children eat together with their family, they begin to learn more about their culture and their family's history.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Written by Maryam MalekianWritten on May 14, 2012Last updated on Apr 13, 2015
 
 

 

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