Family Bonding Grandfamilies Style: Family Meals

A Harvard study found that families who eat together are twice as likely to eat the recommended number of fruits and vegetables as families that do not eat together (Walton 2018). People also tend to eat less when eating together because they eat more slowly and talk more, helping curb obesity.

Want less-picky eaters? Eat family meals together! Coming together strengthens ties and builds better relationships while creating a sense of belonging, which leads to better self-esteem. Be role models for healthy eating and polite table manners. Research shows that spending quality time with your family lowers the chances of engaging in high-risk behaviors such as substance use and violence and can help lead to fewer psychological problems.

Special Points of Interest

Enjoy family conversation without interruptions from cell phones, television, and computers. Here are some ideas for discussion starters (Kaplan n.d.):

1. How was your day? (Everyone gets a turn to answer.)
2. How could we eat more healthily?
3. What items should we include in our next food shopping list?
4. Would anyone like to volunteer to help cook our next meal?
5. Do you want to hear a story about how your great grandparents got to this country?
6. Does anyone have a joke to share?
7. Whose turn is it to do the dishes today?

Tips for Eating More Meals Together

• Make family meals a priority in your household. Focus on the importance of being together as a family.
• Start with small steps. Increase the number of family meals by one additional meal a week.
• As a family, plan a menu for the week and make a grocery list.
• Let the kids be involved by allowing them to help prepare meals or set the table.
• Work as a family to clean up afterward.

Thomas (2016)

Quick and Easy Meal Ideas

• Plan meals ahead.
• Include a variety of foods from each food group.
• Plan around sales.
• Prepare food in advance to save time.
• Plan for leftovers.
• Stock up on staple foods.

Research

Over the past twenty years, researchers have confirmed what parents have known for a long time: Sharing a family meal is good for the spirit, the brain, and the health of all family members (Fishel n.d.).

Recent studies link regular family dinners with many positive behaviors that parents wish for (Fishel n.d.). Dining together could lower the risks of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and depression. And what is more, it can also boost kids’ grade-point averages and self-esteem. For young children, dinner conversation is a more potent vocabulary booster than reading. Stories told around the kitchen table help children build resilience.

The icing on the cake is that regular family meals also lower the rates of obesity and eating disorders in children and adolescents.

What else can families do that takes only about an hour a day and packs such a punch?

Resources

The Family Dinner Project

Penn State Extension Children and Families Resources

References

Fishel, A. n.d. "The Importance of Eating Together." The Family Dinner Project. Page accessed March 28, 2022.

Kaplan, M. n.d. "Making Healthy Eating a Family Affair." Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. Page accessed March 28, 2022.

Thomas, K. 2016. "Family Time in the Kitchen Builds Relationships and Skills." Penn State Extension. Page updated February 8, 2016.

Walton, K. 2018. "The Power of a Family Meal." Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Podcast aired December 7, 2018.

Penn State Extension Relatives as Parents Program

Many organizations and groups have emerged to support grandparents-raising-grandchildren families and help them navigate the unique set of emotional, legal, and daily living challenges they face. This program aims to expand supportive services available for Pennsylvania relative caregivers and the children they are raising, particularly in helping them find needed information and resources, locate and enroll in support groups that serve kinship care families, and engage in family-based recreational and relationship-enhancing activities. Learn more at the RAPP website