The profound benefits of eating together

“The table is a meeting place, a gathering ground, the source of sustenance and nourishment, festivity, safety and satisfaction.”  

This quote belongs to the late Laurie Colwin, an American food writer who clearly understood the good inherent in people sitting down together for a meal. 

While all of us can attain these benefits, it appears our children reap even more rewards.

Internationally, research has demonstrated that kids who frequently eat with at least one family member do better physically, socially and academically. They have higher intakes of vegetables, fruit and milk products - foods that are often deficient in the Canadian diet. Their chances of developing an eating disorder or being overweight, not to mention obese, may be reduced.

Adolescents who often participate in family meals have lower rates of cigarette smoking, alcohol and marijuana use, and attempted suicide.

Several large-scale surveys have shown an association between frequent family meals and better school performance, whether we’re looking at school marks or standardized test scores. 

Overall, children and teens who regularly eat with their families are more socially adjusted individuals.

But families face numerous obstacles when trying to gather for a meal. They often feel pressed for time: children’s extra-curricular activities coupled with the work demands of parents can create extremely tight schedules. 

Other possible barriers include a lack of food preparation skills. Or the difficulties of planning and cooking meals for family members who don’t eat the same food.

Then there’s the challenge of the ubiquitous television and computer: family meals are next to impossible when certain members would rather eat while watching their favourite TV program or surfing the internet. 

Given these realities, it’s little wonder that statistics show as many as one-quarter to one-third of Canadian families seldom or never eat a meal together. However, a unique provincial project has been created to support us in coming together more often to prepare and share meals. The initiative, called Better Together, is the brainchild of B.C. Dairy Foundation and the B.C. Ministry of Healthy Living and Sports.

“Canadians already value eating together but are struggling to do it. Telling them to eat together is just adding more pressure. That’s how we came to call our initiative Better Together,” says Sydney Massey, a registered dietitian and director of nutrition education for B.C. Dairy Foundation, which leads the project. “It’s about the benefits families experience as they take baby steps towards having more meals together. By focusing on the advantages, we avoid the guilt people may feel when they hear ‘eat together’.”

The team behind Better Together is well aware that our society’s definition of ‘family’ has changed considerably over the past few decades; many of us don’t fit the stereotypical image of the two-parent, two-child middle class family that’s usually portrayed in the media. 

“This stereotype really doesn’t help communicate the message that there are benefits for all sorts of family groupings. It can be a family meal when it only involves two people,” says Massey.

A precocious 10-year-old recently explained to me that families are like snowflakes: no two look alike; they’re all so different. She’s right.

It doesn’t matter exactly who or how many persons comprise our family, mealtimes are an opportunity to disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with each other.

The Better Together project provides a number of tools and resources to help us do so. Their website, right here , allows for easy access to things like kid-friendly recipes, ideas for coping with picky eaters and simple tips for planning meals, grocery shopping and cooking together.