Eating habits and food preferences are established early in life. Eating meals together as a family promotes healthy eating through positive role modeling and learning about healthy foods. Family meals are a healthy routine which provide children with comfort and security about food. Shared meals are an opportunity to pass along family traditions and help keep families connected and communicating.

Yes! Eating meals together as a family is linked with better food choices and nutrient intakes as well as healthier weights in children. Studies have found that children who regularly sit down to eat dinner together with their family eat more vegetables and fruits and less fried foods, sweets, salty snacks and pop. Children who eat with their families also consume more fibre, calcium, folate, iron, and vitamins B6, B12, C and E, and less saturated fat and trans fat.

Nutrition – Children and teens eat more balanced meals and a wider variety of foods when they eat with their family.

Tradition – Sharing meals with family members helps pass along family and cultural traditions about food.

Comfort and security - Children who eat meals regularly together with family and caregivers feel satisfied and secure knowing when they will eat.

Learning - Sharing meals and helping with meal preparation helps children learn more about food. Parents and caregivers are also important roles models whose behaviour around food helps children learn about how to eat and make healthy food choices.

Communication - Sharing meals gives children and their parents or caregivers time to talk and share information about their day.

Adapted from: http://www.eatrightontario.ca