Family Meals

Cooking and eating meals together promotes healthy eating for the whole family. Letting children help with meal planning and food preparation can help them develop these important skills.

Mealtimes are an opportunity for parents to provide positive role modeling and help children learn about healthy foods and establish good eating habits and food preferences.

Studies have found that children who regularly sit down to eat dinner together with their family eat more vegetables and fruits and less fried foods, sweets, salty snacks and pop.

Children who eat with their families also consume more fibre, calcium, folate, iron, and vitamins B6, B12, C and E, and less saturated fat and trans fat (Unlock Food).

Family meals are a healthy routine which provide children with comfort and security about food. Family mealtimes are also an opportunity to pass along family traditions and help keep families connected and communicating.