Family Meals Benefit Teens for Years
Teens who frequently eat family meals may have healthier
eating habits as young adults, nutrition experts report.
What are the specific benefits of family meals for teens? Diet experts at
the University of Minnesota came up this list:
Perk No. 1. Teens who frequently eat meals with their families are
more likely than their peers to eat more fruits and vegetables -- and drink
fewer sodas -- as young adults.
Perk No. 2. Teens who often eat family meals are more likely than
their peers to make it a priority to eat with family and friends as young
adults.
Perk No. 3. Teen girls who frequently eat family meals are more
likely than their peers to eat breakfast as young women.
Those findings are based on 946
Minnesota female teens and 764 male teens who c ompleted surveys about
their eating habits in high school and again five years later.
About 42% of the high school students said they ate with their families
three to six times per week, and more than 18% said they ate family meals at
least seven times per week.
But five years later, even those students didn't have stellar eating habits.
They still didn't eat enough fruit, vegetables, whole grains, calcium-rich
foods, and certain nutrients (such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium),
report Nicole Larson, MPH, RD, and colleagues.
Nevertheless, "food and nutrition professionals should encourage
families to share meals as often as possible," Larson's team writes in
September's issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic
Association.
After all, family meals are an opportunity for parents to model healthy
eating habits, and the eating habits that kids pick up often spill over into
adulthood, note Larson and colleagues.
For more tips on healthy eating, visit WebMD's Diet & Nutrition
message boards .
B
By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Louise Chang
B)2005-2006 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved