Every September is National Family Meals Month which is a national campaign whose goal is encourage families to eat more meals together.
The Family Meals Movement started in 2015 and has grown rapidly because of the positive social and health benefits that can occur by increasing the meals eaten together every week. According to the FMI Foundation there are multiple benefits to regular family meals such as:
- Higher grades and self-esteem
- Prosocial behaviors into adulthood such as sharing, fairness and respect
- Children are less likely to suffer from obesity
- Higher fruit and vegetable intakes
- Adolescents are less likely to show symptoms of violence, depression, and suicide as well as less likely to abuse drugs, run away and engage in other risky behaviors
Adolescents who have infrequent family meals are:
- 3.5 times more likely to abuse prescription or illegal drugs
- 3 times more likely to have used marijuana
- More than 2.5 times more likely to have used tobacco
- 1.5 times more likely to have used alcohol
The goal of this movement is simple, for families to pledge to have one more meal together a week.
Check out the National Family Meals website, https://www.fmi.org/family-meals-movement/about , for more information as well as resources, recipes and much more.