Family meals… a tradition worth saving

Change is inevitable, and due to a multitude of social drivers; the humble evening family meal is purportedly becoming a ritual of the past. A survey of over 1000 Australian families, revealed that a mere 22% of families share a meal four times a week or less (Huntley, 2008).

What are the benefits of the family meal?A recent meta-analysis, published in Pediatrics (Hammons & Fiese, 2011), explored the relationship between shared family meals and nutritional status in 182 836 children and adolescents. The results were convincing, showing that children and adolescents who partake in family meals ≥3 times per week are more likely to be have healthier dietary patterns and maintain a normal weight than those who eat ≤3 family meals together.Still need some convincing? Family meals have also been shown to reduce the likelihood of eating outside the home (Fulkerson et al, 2006), enhance psychological wellbeing, and reduce the probability of substance abuse (Neumark-Sztainer et al, 2010). Moreover, academic achievement and language development are recognised benefits of shared family meals (Fiese & Schwartz, 2008). Amazing!The passing on of cultural traditions through food has been happening since the dawn of human society. Gibbs (2006) states that: “A meal is about civilizing children. It’s about teaching them to be a member of their culture”.

The history of family meals

The history of family mealtimes differs enormously depending on the era, culture, geographical location, season, religion and socio-economic status of the individual, family or group being investigated. Although there is evidence that the ritual of family meals dates back several million years to the hunter-gatherer era (Visser, 1991); there is also suggestion that the “family meal” wasn’t developed until the mid-19th century, as before this, only the very wealthy had a “dining” room, and meals were often informal and staggered (Gibbs, 2006).