Eating together can improve your teen’s diet, study states

In today's fast-paced life, it is important to spend some quality time with your family. And this includes the time you spend with them at the dinner table. A new study has found that eating together as a family can help improve children and teenagers' appetites. When families sit down together, children tend to eat more fruits and vegetables and avoid eating junk food. “Our research found that family dinners are a great way to improve the dietary intake of the whole family, regardless of how well the family functions together,” said lead researcher Kathryn Walton.



“It’s a time when families can slow down from their busy days to talk, spend time together and problem-solve. It’s also a time that parents can model healthful eating behaviours,” Walton added. It was also found that making the meal together and sitting to eat it together helped people bond as a family. It doesn't have to be an elaborate meal, what matters is the quality time you spend with your family.



“Even if it’s something you pull out of the freezer, add a bagged salad on the side and you’ll have a decent nutritional meal,” said Jess Haines, Professor from the University of Guelph in Canada. The researchers also added that eating just one meal a day together can improve children's eating habits.