Children and adults alike get benefits of eating together as a family, even if it isn’t dinner.
The greatest parenting trick may be to eat meals together as a family. Are there any other things that could be done to improve your children’s academic performance, self-esteem as well as their chances of developing substance misuse problems, depression, teen pregnancy and obesity in an hour?
The previous two decades have shown that merely shutting off the devices and interacting with one another over food may improve the physical and emotional health of everyone engaged.
Do you want to see it? We’ve compiled a list of a few research that show the benefits of dining as a family.
Contents
- 1 1. IT TEACHES YOUR CHILDREN HEALTHIER EATING HABITS
- 2 2. IT HAS POTENTIAL TO PREVENT SERIOUS PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES
- 3 3. WEIGHT CONTROL IN ADULT CONSUMERS IS ONE OF AMONG BENEFITS OF EATING TOGETHER
- 4 4. IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BOOST CHILDREN SELF-ESTEEM
- 5 5. IT ENHANCES COMMUNICATION ABILITIES
- 6 6. IT CAN ASSIST CHILDREN IN RECOVERING FROM CYBERBULLYING
- 7 7. IT CAN BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH FAMILY THERAPY
1. IT TEACHES YOUR CHILDREN HEALTHIER EATING HABITS
An article in JAMA Network Open found that having meals with family members is connected with a healthier diet in general, especially among teens. While eating with their family, teenagers had a higher likelihood of eating fresh produce as well as less likely to consume fast food and sugary drinks. A family can be functional or dysfunctional and the findings still hold true.
Once the children form the good eating habit, their lives will be healthier. Then, they can study and work effectively. Therefore, among some benefits of eating together with family, I would like to mention this one first.

2. IT HAS POTENTIAL TO PREVENT SERIOUS PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES
The ability to prevent serious psychosocial issues is one of its main advantages.
The study concluded that frequent family dinners can help teens avoid eating problems, alcohol and substance abuse, violent conduct, melancholy and suicidal thoughts, as reported by a group of Canadian researchers. Young female participants in the study were more likely to benefit from family meals than their male counterparts.
Nowadays, psychosocial issues have a huge impacts on the living of teenagers. Eating together with family is a chance for them to talk and express their feelings or concerns. Then, they can relieve the burden.
Therefore, even you are too busy, a meal with your family should not be missed due to some big benefits of eating together. People often choose to spend their dinner with their beloved children or have a proper breakfast before going to work every morning.

3. WEIGHT CONTROL IN ADULT CONSUMERS IS ONE OF AMONG BENEFITS OF EATING TOGETHER
There’s a direct correlation between frequent family meals in adolescence and lower obesity or weight problems 10 years later, according to a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics. For families to protect their children from future weight difficulties, the study recommends that they eat together at least once or twice a week.
It is easy to understand how benefits of eating together include weight control. Healthy food consumption is the main root cause. Proper meals with vegetables, fresh food are definitely better than fast food or canned food.
4. IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BOOST CHILDREN SELF-ESTEEM
It’s been proven by experts at Stanford Children’s Health, a youngsters’s health-care system linked with Stanford Medicine and Stanford University that regular family meals can help children feel more confident about themselves. To demonstrate how much you cherish and appreciate your children’s individual characteristics, you should encourage and really listen when they share their daily experiences. Let the kids choose their own seats and encourage them to help with dinnertime activities such as setting the table, serving the meal, and tidying up.
5. IT ENHANCES COMMUNICATION ABILITIES
According to a 2018 Canadian study that followed a group of children from infancy From age 6 to age 10, children who had great meal experiences in their families demonstrated a variety of benefits, according to research conducted in Canada in 2018. According to the study’s supervisor, Université de Montréal pyschoeducation professor Linda Pagani in an interview with Science Daily, social interaction and talks about current concerns at the dinner table can help youngsters become better communicators.
6. IT CAN ASSIST CHILDREN IN RECOVERING FROM CYBERBULLYING
Based on a survey of nearly 19,000 students, a study published in JAMA Pediatrics A study published in JAMA Pediatrics based on a poll of over 19,000 teenagers found clear correlations between cyberbullying, anxiety, depression, and substance addiction. Cyberbullying affects up to one in five young people, making it a huge problem. For their part, teens who had dinner with their family at least three times a week had fewer problems with bullying. A regular family contact, according to the study’s authors, is associated with better parental guidance and more open conversation between children’s parents.
7. IT CAN BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH FAMILY THERAPY
According to a 2016 study, therapists can learn a lot about a family’s dynamics by observing how they eat together. Parents can support their children’s behavior at the dinner table by having them practice with new roles and communication patterns that they learnt in therapy.
[…] interaction can be challenging, especially when it comes to eating together. But there’s probably nothing better for kids. After dinner, leave the dishes in the sink and […]