Long gone are the family dinners lovingly portrayed on the old black and white TV shows like Father Knows Best and Leave it to Beaver. In today’s world, our families are pulled in so many directions that getting together for a simple meal takes a lot of day planning and activity juggling. That is so unfortunate because family meals have consistently shown to be an important factor in physical and mental well-being. Adding back eating meals together can be a simple element in your family’s overall health and happiness.

Keeping in Mind the Following Will Help Bring Your Family Back to the Dinner Table:

• Eating together can lead to better eating habits for everyone (for example: less fast food and more home cooked delicacies)
• Planning meals in advance can make it easier to fit dining together into everybody’s schedule
• Sitting around the kitchen table makes for easier conversation and better communications
• Having a meal together brings parents back into their children’s lives
• Family meals lead to lower risks of depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse.