This set of slides introduces the benefits of family mealtimes to viewers. Enriching Family Mealtimes Tool Kit

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1 This set of slides introduces the benefits of family mealtimes to viewers. The notes on these pages may be used as a script for presenting the slides - or as general outline for discussing the information in your own words. These slides can be used with professional, school, or family audiences to begin a discussion of why family mealtimes are so important to children s growth and development. The presentation can also be used to kick-off a family mealtime challenge. For more details about the research presented on these slides or more indepth references, consult the Leader s Guide for the Enriching Family Mealtimes Tool Kit - available for download at Many handouts and recipes from the Enriching Family Mealtimes Tool Kit may be appropriate for sharing with audiences who are viewing these slides. These handouts and recipes may also be downloaded at 1

2 Importance of Family Mealtimes The Amazing Benefits of Eating and Talking TOGETHER There are many reasons why the time has come to focus attention on family meals. Some have to do with the actual food on the table and the nutrients kids need to grow strong bodies and smart brains. Others are about the conversations families enjoy around the table and the positive affects they can have on school performance and behavior choices. This presentation will briefly review the well-established benefits for eating and talking together. 2

3 Most parents look for ways to give their children an edge, but many miss an easy and often inexpensive recipe for success: eating together. Sally Squires, Lean Plate Club columnist The Washington Post, May 2007 This quote, from The Washington Post columnist Sally Squires, nicely sums up the benefits of family meals - both for children and for their parents. Sometimes, a seemingly simple act can have a profound impact on overall health and well-being. Family mealtimes are about much more than just eating food together. Obviously, the benefits come when family mealtimes are positive experiences. There are few, if any, benefits from a rushed family meal where the parents lecture, the kids sulk, and everyone is angry at the end of the meal. Fortunately, it is easier than families think to create the relaxed, homey atmosphere that makes everyone want to come to - and stay at - the family table. 3

4 Family Mealtimes A simple family habit = impressive benefits for kids The benefits of family mealtimes go far beyond the actual food on the table. According to the experts, the issue isn t whether a family eats a specific meal every night. The key issues are the communication and intergenerational connections that are made around the table. In other words, what comes out of the mouths of babes is just as compelling as what goes into them. 4

5 Family mealtimes help: Family togetherness Behavior issues School success Better nutrition Weight concerns Long-standing research shows that enjoying more meals as a family offers numerous benefits - physical, mental, and emotional - to children. New studies and surveys confirming these benefits are published regularly. Let s take a few minutes to look at each of these benefits individually and to briefly review some of the evidence for them. 5

6 Togetherness Unity and sense of identity Safety and security Adult role models Memories for a lifetime Positive mealtimes help to bring a sense of unity to family life. The table is a place where families can build a sense of identity and commitment to one another. The kitchen table can be a loving place that helps give children a sense of safety and security in a world that is often confusing and sometimes scary. As countless books on parenting tell us, family conversations have a big impact, even when kids don t seem to listen. Conversations around the table give children the chance to examine the wider world through the lens of their family s values. We all know how important adult role models are to children. At the table, adults can model everything from manners to eating habits. If time allows, this is a great place for a group discussion: Ask group members to think for just a minute about a memory from one of their family meals - either their family today or while growing up. Share memories - and discuss similarities and differences among the group s memories. 6

7 Behavior issues More family meals mean teens are less likely to: Become depressed Use illegal drugs Abuse alcohol Smoke cigarettes Develop eating disorders Get pregnant The 2006 Importance of Family Dinners III survey by the National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA at documented the benefits of family meals in terms of substance abuse. Teens who had family dinners more than 5 times per week were two times less likely to have smoked cigarettes and one and a half times less likely to have used alcohol. Many other studies have also confirmed this link between family meals and behavior issues during the teen years. The more often families eat together the less likely teens are to smoke cigarettes, use illegal drugs, abuse alcohol, become depressed, develop eating disorders, or get pregnant. Although no study has determined the exact number of family meals that are necessary for benefits, researchers generally agree that it takes more than two family meals per week and that five or more meals per week are better for children and adolescents. 7

8 School success More family meals mean youth are more likely to: Learn and practice important language skills Learn new vocabulary Do well in school and score well on achievement tests Report getting all A s and B s Importance of Family Dinners III also showed how important family meals can be to success at school. Young people who reported eating dinner with their family 5 or more times per week were much likelier to report receiving either all A s or mostly A s and B s in school. This survey confirms previous research findings including: Mealtime conversations help children acquire and improve the language skills that are critical for school success. Children learn new vocabulary, sentence structure, and how to share their point of view with other people. A study by Dr. Catherine Snow at Harvard s Graduate School of Education, followed children over a 15 year period. Conversations at the family table taught children more vocabulary than they learned from their parents reading books to them. A University of Illinois study found that elementary school children who did well in class and on achievement tests were those who generally spent larger amounts of time eating meals with their families. A Reader s Digest survey of more than 2,000 high-school seniors compared academic achievement with family characteristics. Eating meals with their family was a stronger predictor of academic success than whether they lived with one or both parents. 8

9 Better nutrition Nutrient-rich foods for strong bodies and smart brains More fruits, veggies, lean meats, and milk Fewer fried foods and soft drinks Many studies have shown that family meals are good for children s nutrition. Young people who eat more often with their families have higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy foods. For teens, more regular family meals mean fewer fried foods and soft drinks. These adolescents also have higher intakes of key nutrients like calcium, iron, vitamins A, B 6, C, E, and folate, as well as fiber. Developing smart eating habits at the family table also helps young people make healthier choices when their parents aren t around. An article in the September 2007 Journal of the American Dietetic Association confirms the benefits of teaching and role modeling good nutrition during family dinners. In this 5-year follow-up study with young adults, family meals during adolescence had a lasting positive influence on the quality of their diets and meal patterns, such as eating breakfast. In other words, having family meals with your teenagers improves their chances of eating right in their 20 s. 9

10 Weight concerns More family meals mean children and teens are: More likely to have a healthy weight Less likely to become or stay overweight Less likely to develop an eating disorder As noted in the previous slide, when families eat meals together, they tend to practice the same smart food choices that promote a healthy weight. Healthy interactions at mealtimes help young people develop positive attitudes toward nutrition, fitness, and their changing bodies. The important connections between childhood overweight and family habits related to eating together and TV watching were found in a January 2007 Journal of the American Dietetic Association study. Children who watched more television and had fewer meals with their families from kindergarten through third grade were more likely to become overweight and to remain overweight during this time span. Pediatric experts agree the best strategies for promoting a healthy weight during childhood, like regular meals and daily physical activity, need to involve the entire family. Restrictive weight control diets are not recommended for children. They generally do not work for weight management and they can affect normal growth. Dieting in young people may also lead to disordered eating and more serious clinical eating disorders. 10

11 Mealtime Goals Nutrient-rich foods TV-free and phone-free Minimal distractions Relaxed atmosphere Positive, child-focused conversations Experts ranging from national health organizations (e.g., American Heart Association) to the media (e.g., Time Magazine and USA Today) have recommended family mealtimes as a way to help children eat right and feel right. According to the experts, the goals listed here are the basics of a positive mealtime experience - from a child s point of view. This does not mean that children need a perfect family meal every night of the week. And, parents should not feel guilty when schedules seem too crazy for everyone to sit down together. Like anything else worth having in life, eating meals as a family gets better with practice. Research suggests that five or more family meals per week are probably best for kids. Families can enjoy healthful meals together morning, noon, or night at home, in a restaurant, or as a picnic in the park. Wherever we eat, we can use mealtimes to talk more, listen more, and help kids problem-solve the hot-topic issues in their daily lives. 11

12 Building, bonding relationships. Developing family selfesteem and pride by sharing daily activities. Mealtime memory from teacher in Michigan When you ask adults about their family mealtime memories, you often hear words like these. Cooking, eating, and talking together can bring out the best in families. Mealtimes are wonderful places to build strong relationships, a sense of pride and accomplishment, and memories for a lifetime. If time allows, this is a great place to return to the earlier group discussion about personal memories of family mealtimes. 12

13 For more information and recipes visit More information about all the topics discussed on these slides can be found in the Enriching Family Mealtimes Kit - available for download at The kit includes dozens of mealtime tips for families and deliciously easy, nutrient-rich recipes featuring lean beef. 13

14 Thank you for joining this discussion of family mealtimes - and thank you for everything you do to promote positive mealtimes in your home and for other children in our community. Promoting family mealtimes is one important way to insure that our children are fit, healthy, and ready to succeed. 14