Information Related to "What Happened to the Family Meal?"
| Audio/Video |
|
Here's why it's worth saving - and what you can do to save it.
by Becky Sweat
aiting in line at the grocery store check-out, the woman behind me pointed to the bags of apples, flour and sugar in my shopping cart and remarked, "Looks like you're going home to do some baking."
"We're going to have apple pie for dessert after dinner tonight," I replied.
"Dinner?" she asked in a surprised tone of voice. "Dinner with the whole family sitting around the table? About the only time my family eats dinner together anymore is at Thanksgiving."
Unfortunately, this way of thinking is becoming the norm for American families. According to the Food Marketing Institute, only 40 percent of American families eat meals together, and then no more than two or three times a week. Is that bad? Is the family meal worth saving? Or is it destined to become a thing of the past, something seen only on reruns of old U.S. television shows like Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best?
Nutritional reasons alone make the family meal worth saving. Kids left to themselves to find something to eat are likely to choose a diet of toaster pastries, potato chips and frozen pizza. When parents present children with a variety of foods at regular mealtimes, they better their chances of developing good eating habits in their children.
But, perhaps most important, the family dinner gives family members a chance to reconnect with each other after a long day at school or work. "Eating together as a family can help give your children a feeling of security and a sense of knowing who they are and where they come from," says Margaret Mackenzie, a nutritional anthropologist and member of the American Institute of Wine & Food's Resetting the American Table project. "The family meal is much more than food on the table. You are creating warm, happy memories and meanings your children will carry with them the rest of their lives."
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Table of Contents that includes "What Happened to the Family Meal?"
Other Articles by Becky Sweat
Family: