IV. What is the importance of having regular meals?

• There should be a strong emphasis placed on structure with family meals. There should be sit-down meals at regular times, as well as sit-down snacks between meals, with a more limited random access to food and beverages (Satter, 2008).
• A family meal does not always have to be a home-cooked meal. There are alternatives to eating home-cooked meals that may work better for you and your family, such as eating out at a restaurant, ordering food in, and using convenience foods. These options provide opportunities to connect with your family when time is limited in the kitchen and can help to promote flexibility in eating habits as well. Mainly, family meals should revolve around togetherness and an enjoyable atmosphere. (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005).
• Conflicting schedules within the family are common and may present obstacles in having family meals with all members. Alternative solutions include one parent eating with one child (or children), and the other parent eating with another child (or children). The family can decide what works best for each member based on his/her respective schedules (Travis et al., 2009).
• Studies have shown that teens who eat with their parents consume more fruits, vegetables, and dairy foods. Studies have also shown that children and adolescents who partake in family meals are less likely to consume fat, soda, and fried foods (Satter, 2005).
• A recent scientific study showed that that the nature of the interactions between adolescents and their families around food are also important. Adolescents who negotiated with family members and ate with them believed their diets to be more healthful than those who had negative interactions with their family members (Contento, 2006).
• Family meals may serve as a protective factor against eating disorders. Studies have shown that disordered eating among females decrease sharply in teens who report eating family meals at least 3-4 times a week (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005).

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