5 Benefits of Eating Dinner Together at the Table As A Couple and With Children

Benefits of Eating Dinner Together at the Table As A Couple

The couple that eats together stays together.

Is the traditional family dinner a thing of the past? Is it overvalued as an institution that was once a cornerstone of the ideal home but has become obsolete with changing times? In today's households where both parents go to work and kids have busy schedules with school, homework and an array of afternoon activities, finding time for a gathering at the table seems all but impossible.

Yet, studies have shown time and again that eating together has multiple benefits for everyone involved, but especially for children, and not only for nutritional purposes but in many other aspects as well.

It need not be anything fancy. Or require one of you to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen. The benefits of eating together are there to be had regardless of the quality of your food.
As long as you clear away distractions and make the time to focus on each other, and of course the food.
Parent’s Benefits:

1. Eating Together Helps You Connect.

It can be difficult to reach out and nurture you relationship if you aren’t spending enough time together. We need to eat every day. So if you make a point of eating together, you will automatically be creating the shared time so critical for ensuring you don’t drift apart.

2. Eating Together Provides An Opportunity To Practice Gratitude.

In my house we have recently started a habit of sharing at least one thing we’re thankful for before we start eating. Just one thing, no matter how small. It’s amazing how scanning through your day looking for the positive makes you realise how lucky you are. It’s not often that we only have one thing to share.

Another positive outcome is when something good happens during my day, I now make a special mental note to remember to share it at dinner. It’s a great positive conversation starter as well.

3. Eating Together Helps You Relax.

After a long day at the office, we can all benefit from the simple pleasure of preparing and enjoying our evening meal. Not only does it give you a chance to unwind from the day, it prepares you for a well-earned, rejuvenating sleep.

4. Eating together encourages mindful eating.

By sharing a meal, and actually taking the time to talk about what you’re experiencing in terms of flavours and textures, you are both more likely to be mindful of your food, rather than wolfing it down. This leads to further benefits such as reduced over eating, improved digestion and increased enjoyment of food.

5. Eating Together Improves Nutrition

I know when I’m cooking and eating by myself, I put far less effort into my meals. When I’m cooking for two, I’m far more likely to plan something nutritious and go to the effort of making a side salad or some extra vegetables.

6. Eating Together Is Fun!

One of life’s greatest pleasures is sharing good food and wine with the one you love. Life is too short to miss out on this simple joy and all the good things it can bring to our relationships.

Children Benefits:

Children who eat at least five times a week with their family are at lower risk of developing poor eating habits, weight problems or alcohol and substance dependencies, and tend to perform better academically than their peers who frequently eat alone or away from home.

There are indications, however, that the old customs are coming back, at least in parts. According to some families, they ate dinner together at least five times a week, a significant increase from. Whatever drives this trend, it is a development that should be welcomed.

Eating together as a family is not just about food and nutrition. It is about civilizing children, about teaching them how to become members of their society and culture, Food has become such an ubiquitous commodity, so easily and cheaply available, we no longer appreciate its significance. We have to rediscover its importance and its value. Sharing a meal with loved ones should be considered a special event, he says, that can almost take on the form of a ritual or a ceremony, as it was practiced by our ancestors for whom finding food was a constant struggle.

Besides appreciation for the value of food and the work that goes into preparing it, there are also many social elements that come into play when families share meals,. The dinner table can be the perfect environment where kids learn how to conduct conversations, observe good manners, serve others, listen, solve conflicts and compromise.

Of course, there is no guarantee that the simple act of eating at home surrounded by family will save children from developing unhealthy lifestyles or making regrettable choices down the road. It may not make them more virtuous or socially more responsible. But it can lay the groundwork for a lot of things that point them in the right direction.