Many parents want to instill good eating habits in their children, particularly teenagers. To be able to accomplish this goal, parents make sure that they eat meals together.
Researchers at the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota found that family meals influence greatly the adolescents because they encourage healthy eating habits and good nutritional choices.
“These findings suggest that having regular family meals during the transition from early to middle adolescence positively impacts the development of healthful behaviors for youth,” said Teri L. Burgess-Champoux, who worked on the study.
The researchers examined data from Project EAT, a study that looked at which socioeconomic, personal and behavioral factors affect the eating habits of nearly 400 children.
The students completed two sets of questionnaires: (1) when they were 12 to 13 years old and (2) about five years later.
During the early teen years, 60 percent of the children had regular meals with their family, compared to 30 percent during later adolescence.
Children who ate five or more meals a week together as a family in both early and middle adolescence ate healthier meals with plenty of vegetables and foods rich in calcium, fiber and minerals five years later.
The findings, which were published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior are consistent with national consumption data that shows dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and vitamins and minerals in this age group is problematic.
The importance of incorporating shared mealtime experiencs on a consistent basis during this key developmental period should be emphasized to parents, healthcare providers and educators.
