Center for Families

In all cultures throughout recorded history, family meals have been an honored ritual for sharing food and providing an opportunity for family members to connect with one another. Recently, societal changes in family structures and schedules have served to undermine families having routine meals. Surveys indicate that the vast majority of families (80 percent) value mealtime together, but the minority (33 percent) successfully achieve daily family meals.

Whether a family comes together to share meals can have a significant impact on a variety of outcomes. Family meals are positively associated with improving dietary quality, preventing obesity, enhancing language acquisition and academic performance, improving social skills and family unity, and reducing risk-taking behaviors.

The Promoting Family Meals project, funded by the Center for Families, studies the importance of family meals to parents and children. Through the project, researchers investigate the barriers and supports for achieving a family meal routine and develop message concepts for promoting family meals within communities. Resources and references for promoting family meals are available via this Web site. The project director is partnering with Extension specialists and educators, community advocates and policymakers, health and social service providers, corporations, and the media in the promotion of family meals.