
Written by Diane Whitten, MS, Nutrition Educator,
Cornell Cooperative Extension Saratoga County
The change of seasons is a great time to change some habits. After a busy, hectic summer, fall is a time to gather family indoors around the table to reap the benefits of family meals. Researchers at Cornell University, College of Human Ecology studied whether eating together as a family makes a difference and came away with some insights and recommendations for families. The most reliable benefit of family meals is lower depression in youth, a mental health condition that rose significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most important things you as a parent can do is keep lines of communication open with your child; having meals together is a great opportunity to talk.
Below are some practical steps for families from the Cornell research.
Set a Goal: Try to have family gather for a meal at least three times a week. Ideally, families would eat every meal together, but in the real world today that’s often a lofty goal. Luckily, research shows that having just three meals together as a family each week is beneficial. A meal doesn’t have to be dinner, it can include breakfast or lunch.
Keep it Simple: A family meal can be messy and hectic; it doesn’t have to be your picture of the perfect family meal. Simply sitting together for a meal can provide a child with stability. A family meal can be at home, at a restaurant, in a park, or near the playing field.
Encourage Conversation: Mealtimes are the most common times children talk with parents, so guard your mealtimes from outside distractions. Turn the TV off and put the cell phones on mute. Ask questions about school, work, friends, plans for the future, or simply about the food you’re eating together. Give everyone a chance to talk and be heard.
Other possible benefits of eating meals together as a family include lower rates of eating disorders in children, a healthier diet, and less likely to be overweight.
Ideas for Conversation Starters
Ages 2-7:
• What is your favorite food and why?
• If you could be a color what would it be and why?
• Where do the foods we eat come from?
Ages 8-13
• If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?
• What 3 words would you use to describe our family?
• What is one place that you’d like to visit?
Ages 14+
• Finish this sentence: “Everyone knows that my worst habit is…”
• If you could make money doing whatever you love to do, what would you want to do for a living?
• Can you tell me one thing that you learned today that you think I might not know?
Gather More Ideas
If you want to get children more interested in meals consider including them in meal planning. Make it a game to see how many meal ideas you can come up with in ten minutes. Come up with some themes for dinner, like Taco Tuesdays or Breakfast for Dinner.
Bring children to the grocery store to learn about shopping and pick out a new food to try. Kids are more likely to try something new when they picked it out themselves.
Involve children in preparing the meal and setting the table. Depending on the age of your child they can be given tasks, such as stirring, chopping, cooking, pouring or serving. Make it fun by having kids take turns being waiters for everyone at the table.
Family meals do more than just nourish the body, they nourish the mind and soul as well, leading to shared learning, stronger family bonds, and better communication.