Teenagers and young adults who sit down for family dinners are more likely to have healthier eating habits, regardless of how well the family unit functions and connects away from the supper table.“Gathering around the dinner table is sort of a magical thing,” says lead researcher Kathryn Walton, a dietitian and PhD student who worked on the study with Prof. Jess Haines, Family Relations and Applied Nutrition.
The study found that family dinners are associated with better dietary intake for adolescents from both high- and low-functioning families.