Having your family sit down for just three meals together each week can have meaningful benefits for children.
Eating together helps kids have better diets and lowers their obesity risk.
The benefits go beyond just physical health, according to Aspirus Health Pediatrician Dr. Gretchen Karstens.
“Kids also tend to have a significantly lower risk for depression, anxiety, and disordered eating habits when they are able to eat together as a family,” said Karstens.
Kids aren’t the only ones who benefit. Studies also show that 91 percent of parents say family meals reduce stress in their household.
To get these benefits, meals don’t need to be elaborate or formal.
“What's more important is the atmosphere we're eating in, sometimes, than what's on your plate,” said Karstens.
Creating space regularly where conversations can happen strengthens connections and builds important life skills.
Karstens recommends using the time to ask open ended questions and no screens at the table.
“Trying to get a little bit of a glimpse into ‘Well what happened in your day,’ and then the parents mirroring that back to the kids also helps create that atmosphere of we're really here as a group,” said Karstens. “Forming some group cohesiveness and some fun memories and some fun times that kind of can help us fuel through some of these other times.”
The U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness an epidemic in 2023, and it remains an ongoing public health crisis today.
One major factor is the rise of technology and how often people, especially kids, rely on it for communication instead of in-person interaction.
