Sitting down and eating a healthful meal with your family plays a major role in weight management, as families that eat together make better food choices. Families who regularly eat together tend to be more healthful in their eating habits. Eating at home can reduce fat and sugar intake and is also associated with a reduced risk of childhood obesity in children and adolescents.
Research has found that young children who ate at home with their families had a lower body-mass index than kids who did not. That’s most likely due to the fact that home cooking is healthier as parents or caregivers who cook balanced, nutritious meals for children also often pass these positive habits onto them, providing a role model for healthy eating. This can also help model eating moderate portion sizes, tasting new foods or stopping when full.
Bonus, it also provides a sense of family unity, communication and strengthening family connections. You’ll also find that eating family meals at home is cheaper, a family of 4 could save nearly $40 a week, per person, by simply shifting meals into the house. That’s a win all around.