Alternative Health Blog

Common sense can be convincing in everyday life. Turns out it can make for strong evidence in scientific experiments too. Studies show that families who eat meals together tend to be closer emotionally and eat more nutritionally.

What’s more, other research from the University of Cincinnati indicates that pre-teens and teens who partake of as little as five meals per week with parents or other adult family members can significantly reduce risk for juvenile delinquency. The additional good news here is a 2007 Columbia University survey of more than 1,500 teens and parents showed six of every 10 teens eat dinner with their families. That number might surprise some of us, but other studies and surveys are confirming that adolescents eat about two-thirds of their meals at home, and Americans are following a trend of cooking more meals at home.

The nutrition factor of families eating together is clearly documented. A Harvard Medical School study of more than 16,000 children nine to 14 years showed who ate regularly with their families consumed more fruits and vegetable and less fried foods, saturated fats and trans fats. Plus, those adolescents were getting more calcium, iron, folate, fiber and vitamins (especially C, E, B6 and B12). Better yet, University of Minnesota research indicates that kids who ate a majority of their meals with their families continued to eat more produce and drink less soda as young adults. Another health indicator: Those young adults made it a point to eat breakfast.

One of the best resources for how to develop nutritious and emotionally satisfying family meals is “Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family,” a book by Madison, Wisc., nutritionist Ellyn Satter. It is much more than a nutrition book. Satter takes great care to explain how mealtime conversations can be more rich and offers that even eating out at a quick-food restaurant can be rewarding.

The emotional dividends of family meals might represent the biggest attraction, especially for parents and other adults in position to positively influence kids. A 2004 study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine showed that college students who reported regular family meals growing up were more likely than students without that family meal history to feel they could turn to their parents to discuss problems. Those students who ate regular family meals also scored higher on an index measuring how much they thought their parents cared about them.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.