It’s 2023, our day to day lives are busy fitting in everything from work, after school activities, family time, a social life, and hopefully some time for yourself. Busy family schedules can often leave you and your children eating on the go and eating at different times. However, what if we told you that scheduling to eat dinner at the table with your family could positively impact your family dynamics, your children's eating behaviours, and diet quality. Let’s explore the many benefits of eating at the table with your family… 

 

1. Eating at the table with your family can improve your family’s diet quality 

Research shows a higher frequency of eating at the table with your family is associated with a higher intake of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, and fibre. A great outcome considering only 1% of Aussie children meet the recommended serving of vegetables, and two thirds meet the recommended serving of fruit (reference)

1. Children who eat at the table with their family are more likely to be within a normal weight range and are less likely to engage in disordered eating behaviours

Many studies have shown a positive association between eating at the table and a reduced risk of overweight and obesity in children. Additionally, research shows a link between eating at the table and a decreased risk for disordered eating in children. Disordered eating in youth is unfortunately increasing, with the average onset for eating disordered are aged 12 - 25 years old (reference).

1. Eating at the table with your family can help improve family dynamics 

Studies that have carried out interventions on eating at the table with your family have shown families feel better, have improved relationships, and have more participation when compared to not eating at the table. 

If you’re a parent living a busy life, but want to prioritise eating dinner with your family we’ve got the perfect solution for you. Cut out meal preparation and cleaning up, and enjoy more quality time with your family with Nourish’d Family Portion Sizes. We’ve hand selected our favourite family meals like Spaghetti Bolognese, Off The Bone Lamb Shanks, and Country Style Crumbed Chicken, just to name a few to make dinner time easy for you and your family. View the full range of family portion sizes here