The environment in which a child learns to eat significantly impacts their eating habits, lifestyle and overall well-being. Sharing meals as a family encourages healthier eating patterns, improves mood, and supports mental health. For children under 13, regular family meals are associated with fewer behavioral issues and emotional outbursts. Teenagers benefit as well, showing lower rates of substance use, fewer depressive symptoms, and better academic performance. Adults also benefit from family meals enjoying improved social and emotional well-being.
Family meals don’t need to be limited to dinner; they can happen anytime that fits your schedule, including breakfast, lunch, or snack. These meals can include extended family members, family friends, and fictive kin (non-biological family members). All these relationships play essential functional and emotional roles. The key is consistency and togetherness. Sitting down together creates an opportunity to connect, share, and model healthy behaviors.
