Released Jan. 30, 2008

STILLWATER, Okla. – It is simple. The most important part of family mealtime is the family and eating meals together can improve children’s food habits.

Janice Hermann, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service nutrition education specialist, said kids tend to eat more fruits, vegetables and dairy foods at meals shared with their parents.

“Shared meals also have long-lasting effects,” she said. “Children learn by modeling themselves after their parents.”

Eating together lets parents show their children by example how to choose nutritious foods, know when they are full and how to try new foods.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are a set of recommendations from the USDA and Health and Human Services which help families find the balance between eating and physical activity to support good health.

The Guidelines recommend:

• Getting enough nutrients without too many calories
• Managing weight
• Being active
• Eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk
• Choosing fats wisely
• Choosing carbohydrates wisely
• Keeping and eye on sodium and potassium
• Being safe with alcohol
• Being safe with foods

In addition to learning how to eat healthy, research shows family mealtime can make a positive impact on youth and children.

“Making time during hectic work schedules and after-school activities for family mealtimes is a positive step in preventing later problems among today’s youth,” said Debbie Richardson, OSU Cooperative Extension Service parenting assistant specialist.

More specifically, studies show teens are healthier and are less likely to become involved in risky behaviors if they dine regularly with their families.

“The more often teens have dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs,” Richardson said. “Those who have dinner together five or more nights a week are almost 50 percent less likely to try alcohol compared to teens that have dinner with their families two nights or less per week.”

Richardson said mealtime can foster and encourage communication between parents and children and is a good opportunity for parents to monitor their child’s activities, friends and school progress. It is also a time for parents to get a better understanding of the challenges their children face.

Richardson suggests these tips for successful family meals:

• Every Sunday pick several nights during the upcoming week when the entire family can eat together. Make your best attempt to stick to the schedule.
• Encourage your children to create menu ideas and participate in meal preparation.
• During dinner, turn off the television and the phone.
• Talk about what happened in everyone’s day: school, work, friends or current events.
• Establish a routine to start and end each meal. Light candles, say grace or tell a story. Play a board game after dinner or serve dessert to encourage the family to continue the conversation.
• Keep conversation positive and make sure everyone gets a chance to speak.
• Start the pattern of family dinner when children are young.

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http://www2.dasnr.okstate.edu/Members/katie.reim-40okstate.edu/eat-better-together

Contact: Katie L. Reim, (405) 744-6792, katie.reim@okstate.edu