Beginning a new year can be stressful, especially when everyone around you seems to be committing to grandiose resolutions like traveling the world, running marathons, or completing 365-day yoga challenges.
Here's a hot take: A resolution should be about focusing on what matters most in life, rather than what appears most impressive on social media. In this article, we'll focus on one impactful resolution that deserves more love: sharing more meals together as a family.
While you may think it's a no-brainer why family dinners matter, we unpack some fresh insights about what makes them so valuable below.
They Bring Loved Ones Together
Perhaps the most obvious benefit of family dinners is that they reserve time out of everyone's day to put down distractions—from work to smartphones and video games—and share quality time with loved ones. Work-life balance is hard to come by nowadays, so it's more important than ever to protect certain parts of your day to intentionally spend in community.
They Pose Learning Opportunities
The more you cook at home, the more opportunities you have to teach your children about nutrition, food preparation, and kitchen safety. Even if they're just stirring a pot of pasta or sprinkling some seasoning on the veggies, every experience in the kitchen is an opportunity to learn and be better equipped to cook for themselves when they grow up.
They Reduce Stress
According to a survey by the American Heart Association in September 2022, 91% of parents reported that their family felt less stressed when eating meals together. Everyone knows that spending time in community and eating tasty food are both good for the soul, so adding these together is a recipe for stress relief.
They Promote Healthy Eating Habits
Fast food is notorious for being high in unhealthy fats and sodium. When you cook at home with your own ingredients, you know exactly what's going into your meals and can control their nutritional value. It's also healthy for kids to get into the habit of eating low calorie home-cooked meals rather than deep fried or overly processed takeout dishes.
They Save Money
Eating out, even if you eat healthy, can be really expensive. How many times have you ordered a $20 meal and thought, "I could have made this at home for under $5"? Sure, eating out is fun and can be reserved for special occasions, but it's far more affordable to purchase ingredients yourself and make food at home with your family.
If it's not viable to eat dinner as a family every day, don't stress. Start slow with a couple family dinners per week, and ramp up at your own pace as your family realizes just how special this tradition can be. Take a peek at the image below for some additional insights into family dinners in the U.S., courtesy of Instacart.
Image Embed Codes:
<a href='https://www.instacart.com/company/ideas/family-dinner-statistics/'><img src='https://www.instacart.com/company/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/how-often-do-americans-sit-down-for-family-dinner.png' alt='' width='540px' /></a>
<a href='https://www.instacart.com/company/ideas/family-dinner-statistics/'><img src='https://www.instacart.com/company/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/parents-shared-dinner-with-kids.png' alt='' width='540px' /></a>
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