Why families need to gather for dinner every night

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

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This story is sponsored by Beehive Meals.

President Ronald Reagan said, "All great change in America begins at the dinner table."

Whether you agree with Reagan's sentiment or not, increasing evidence is showing us the real importance of family dinners. But it's not always easy to do. In fact, an article from the Harvard Graduate School of Education says, "Despite family mealtimes being hugely beneficial to kids, only about 30% of families manage to eat together regularly." Ouch!

If you need a bit of encouragement to get your family gathering at the table every night, here are a few scientifically-backed reasons. And for a little help making that happen, check out local Utah company Beehive Meals for delicious and healthy ready-made freezer meals delivered to your door.

Physical health benefits

The evidence supporting the link between family dinners and improved overall health is overwhelming. From lowering obesity risk to improving relationships with food, there are more than a few proven benefits of establishing family meals.

First and foremost, families with a pattern of eating dinner at home have a lower obesity risk. In a country where obesity rates are constantly climbing, this benefit is nothing to sniff at. A study published in the Pediatrics Journal found that children who regularly eat dinner with their families are less likely to become overweight or obese in young adulthood.

Why families need to gather for dinner every night — Photo: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

When families eat together, children are more likely to eat a rounded diet of fruits, veggies, and healthy proteins. They're also more likely to try new foods when they eat with their siblings and parents, which helps build a foundation of good habits that will continue for the rest of their lives.

The same goes for adults—when you're cooking and eating at home, you're much more likely to get the nutrients you need to stay healthier and in better shape.

Mental health benefits

Not only can family dinners improve your physical health, but they improve your mental health, too.

A huge health benefit of family dinners is the reported lower risk of substance abuse. Harvard and Stanford both linked this benefit to the improved mental health that comes from eating family dinner.

Studies have been examining the link between drugs, alcohol, and family dinner for decades and it's clear that teens who have family dinner regularly are less likely to try drugs and alcohol at a young age. This 2015 Canadian study concluded that family dinners are an easy, noninvasive intervention to improve the psychosocial outlook of teens.

An article from Stanford Medicine explains family meals can help every member of the family handle daily stressors and just living day-to-day.

The same article also explains how family meals can help improve your child's self-esteem. At meals, children have space to communicate, talk about their struggles, and even help with the mealtime chores, all of which bolster their growing self-esteem.

Allow your children to help set the table, clean up, or even serve the food (even if they make a mess!) because it shows them how capable they are. They also get special one-on-one attention from their parents as they help with meals.

Family meals are also shown to help kids handle bullying—having a safe space at dinnertime allows them to communicate with their parents and gain tools they need to handle these problems.

Last, dinnertime as a family is a time when everyone can talk about their day and what's going on in their lives. This acts as a natural stress reliever and allows family members to show support for one another.

Make family dinners happen

The list of benefits could go on and on but the point is, you have the power to make a difference in the physical, mental, and social health of your family by simply sitting down for family dinner.

Your children will learn the value of eating well and being listened to. You'll get a peek into both their struggles and funny moments and hopefully have a chance to teach them to chew with their mouth closed. Most importantly, you get to spend precious time together as you support each other.

Let Beehive Meals take the busy work out of family dinner so you can focus on the people eating the food. Dinner time doesn't have to be chaos! Visit Beehive Meals to see the menu and learn more. You'll be able to sit down at the table for a warm, healthy meal today and every day.