The Necessity of a Family Meal Plan

It is no secret that having family meals together is important. Likely, you have already heard and believe the statistics that kids who eat with their family have better health than kids who do not, but do you know all of the proven benefits? And why are so many parents still not implementing a regular family meal plan?

In this post, I will discuss the massive rewards that come from having frequent family meals together. I will also share some common barriers to implementing a regular family meal plan and how to overcome those barriers. You don’t want to miss this! 

Health Benefits of Family Meals

Where do I begin? There are soooo many amazing benefits for kids and caregivers who have regular meals together. There’s not enough space in this little blog post to share all of the ways this can improve the health of the family, so we’ll hit the highlights, and I’ll include some links to direct you to great resources if you want to learn even more.

Here are a few of the top health benefits that come from participating in family meals:

1. Increases the likelihood of positive behaviors and positive choices
2. Prevents picky eating and improves food acceptance
3. Improves psychological health and decreases stress
4. Lowers risk of heart disease and many other chronic conditions
5. Establishes routine and fosters trust among family members which positively impacts brain health

While all of these health impacts are beneficial to everyone, #5 is especially important for kids who have experienced trauma. Oh yeah, and a few more helpful outcomes include improved communication skills, strengthened relationships, positive memories, and increased confidence! What more can I say?

Why are so Many Dining Room Tables Empty? 

According to a survey conducted in 2019, 29% of Americans had dinner with members of their household every day. 28% reported having meals together 1 day a week or less. Here are the 2 biggest reasons why participants felt family dinners were difficult: having different schedules and being too busy.

Of course, during the COVID pandemic, there was an increase in regular family meals, because there was nowhere to go and not much else to do. But we’ve gotten busy again and many people have forgotten how beneficial it is to spend uninterrupted time together as a family.

We prioritize other things like work, extra-curricular activities, our to-do list, and our phones/technology. I’m not saying these are bad things, but they shouldn’t consume 100% of our time. If they get in the way of spending time together, then make some simple changes to create a culture in your home that says “family meals are important”. 

How to Overcome Family Meal Planning Barriers and Fill the Table 

I understand that life gets busy and it can be hard to make a family meal plan and get everyone at the table simultaneously. But all you need to do is find a small window of time when everyone can be together for 10-20 minutes.

Of course, it takes longer than that to prepare the meal, but not everyone has to participate in the meal prep. You only need one person to do that, and if your weeknights are too busy, then set aside time during the weekend to prepare meals that can be dumped into the pressure cooker or tossed in the oven so all you have to do is press a few buttons.

Also, you don’t have to make family meals happen every single night, especially if it will cause added stress. Start with small steps forward. If you currently only have dinner together once a week or less, try to increase it to 2-3 nights a week. Or if dinner together is impossible, opt for breakfast or lunch! Read this post to learn 4 Tips to Create a Stress-free Family Meal Plan. 

It takes practice and commitment, but I can guarantee that you will not regret putting in the effort. The health of your family is worth it! The extra time together is worth it!

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