With the Whole Family
Cooking
& Eating
Family meals allow parents to not only monitor their children's eating, but can provide them the opportunity to encourage and model nutritious eating habits. Children and adolescents who regularly attend family meals tend to eat more nutritious foods. For adolescents, those who frequently eat with their family tend to eat more fruits, vegetables, and key nutrients, and intake fewer soft drinks in early adulthood compared to adolescents who do not eat with their family. This suggests that eating habits instilled early in life tend to have lasting effects on diet quality.
Nutritional Choices
Childhood Obesity
Childhood obesity rates have almost tripled in the last 30 years, and the main culprits for the rise are over-consumption of unhealthy food, and lack of exercise. If regular family meal attendance results in better food choices, then they are a step in the right direction. Research has found that children who eat dinner with their family 3 or more times a week are less likely to be overweight. When family meals are a priority, they result in fewer unhealthy weight control behaviours and result in greater psychosocial well-being.
Picky Eaters
Finicky eaters are a common issue at the dinner table. One way to try to get around the issue is to involve children in the whole meal process. If possible, bring your child/ren to the grocery store or farmer's market and have them help you pick out ingredients. Then, have your child/ren assist you in meal preparation. Oftentimes, when children are involved in the process of meal preparation and put in the effort themselves, they are much more likely to taste (and eat!) their creations.
How do Family Meals Impact Nutrition?
References:
Fulkerson, J. A., Story, M., Mellin, A., Leffert, N., Neumark-Sztainer, D. & French, S. A. (2006). Family dinner meal frequency and adolescent development: relationships with developmental assets and high-risk behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 39(3), 337-345.
Government of Canada (2013). Childhood Obesity. Healthy Canadians. Retrieved June 10, 2013, from http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/kids-enfants/obesity-obesite/risks-risques-eng.php
Larson, N. I., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Hannan, P. J. & Story, M. (2007). Family meals during adolescence are associated with higher diet quality and healthful meal patterns during young adulthood. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 107(9), 1502-1510.
Moreno, L. A. & Rodriguez, G. (2007). Dietary risk factors for development of childhood obesity. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 10(3), 336-341.
Nordquest, M. A. & Nordquest, M. (2007). Family mealtime as a context of development and socialization. Families, Systems, & Health, 25(2), 219-221.
Quick, B. L., Fiese, B. H., Anderson, B., Koester, B. D. & Marlin, D. W. (2011). A formative evaluation of shared family mealtime for parents of toddlers and young children. Health Communication. 26(7), 656-666.