It may call to mind memories of your own childhood, but sitting down to meals as a family can promote more than just nostalgia; it can also positively impact your family’s health.
A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics showed that children who regularly share meals with their families experience a variety of positive health outcomes. The study, published in December 2013, found that when families dined together at breakfast and dinner, there was a lower risk of obesity. Diet and nutritional quality in meals increased as well, with an overall increase in fruit, whole grain and fiber intake.
Another finding: When children served themselves around the table, they tended to eat smaller portions compared to pre-plated meals. The children only put on their plate the amount they felt they could consume.
For Kristina Jenny – registered dietitian, market manager of the New Albany Farmers Market and mother of five – keeping the family around the dinner table has been a major goal. Jenny’s family regularly eats together at both breakfast and dinner and has experimented with ways to keep meals interesting, including weekly Mexican and Italian nights and “backwards dinner.”
“This is where you eat dessert first,” Jenny says. “It started when the kids were little and it makes eating together different. Everything is always so normal; this mixes it up.”
Another study, conducted by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, found that, when larger portions of fruits and vegetables were offered at the table, there was a 70 percent increase in fruit intake and 37 percent increase in vegetable intake among kids. And because the children were filling up on healthful foods, their overall energy and caloric intake did not increase. The effects were limited to kids who like fruits and veggies, though.
Choosing low-calorie, low-sugar beverages is a key component to child nutrition and, when families eat at the same table, drink choices are controlled. An April 2012 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that homes that promote food rules, such as no sugary sodas or sports drinks, and parent-mediated behaviors, such as family dinners, have lower levels of childhood obesity than those that don’t.
“The key is to wisely limit what’s available,” Jenny says. “Try to keep 100 percent juice around. Our family slogan was always ‘milk with your meals.’”
Another significant factor in promoting a healthy family is to keep limitations and restrictions reasonable. If a food or a drink is completely banned in the home, breaking the rule could become an attractive way for kids to rebel.
“Choosing some things that aren’t that great for you isn’t bad,” Jenny says. “If you restrict junk food totally, kids will just want it more.”
Preparing the meals and cleaning up afterward adds family bonding time. Even young kids can help out. Kitchen towers are sturdier than step stools and raise children as young as 18 months to counter height so they can assist in cooking tasks.
“Some jobs are age-dependent, but everyone can set a table,” Jenny says. “As a parent, you learn and develop patience as (your children) learn. Have them smell the spices and find out what they are and what they do. You can have the older kids use the knives and cut up the vegetables.”
Keeping meal-time conversation lively plays a role in family health, too.
“Don’t make it a lecture, but talk about what you’re eating,” Jenny says. “Explain why we choose what we eat and what these foods do for us. It doesn’t take a lot to learn interesting tidbits for the table.”
A 2013 study from the Center for Child and Family Health Promotion Research at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing found that families with no electronic media restrictions served less green salad, fruits, vegetables, milk and 100 percent juices, while families that restricted meal-time media consumption dished up more healthful meals and had greater family communication scores.
It may seem like a lot of work to implement these strategies, but investing time in building healthful habits will pay dividends for years to come.
“I’m seeing my own kids go off to college and it’s hard on a new level,” Jenny says. “However, it’s rewarding. I see the healthful practices transferring to their lives. They eat salads with their meals. They make homemade baked goods with their friends.”
Stephan Reed is an editorial associate. Feedback welcome at laurand@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Take-away Tips
- -Eat meals together as a family.
- -Let kids serve themselves.
- -Offer lots of fruits and vegetables.
- -Get kids involved in cooking, setting the table and clearing away dishes.
- -Unplug during meals. Put away cell phones and tablets and turn off the television.
