Family Mealtimes – Importance and Complications

Research shows that mealtimes have beneficial effects on health and well-being, but making all families realize that is very complicated.

Allen Barton, lead author, states that some solutions like focusing exclusively on improving food access or improving mealtime preparation and organization skills may be less effective if done in isolation. To enhance children and families’ health, effectively addressing family mealtimes will require attention, avoiding overly simplistic answers, and considering more holistic approaches to solutions, he explains.

Barton says that while previous studies have focused on sociological factors (community food access and food security) or psychological factors (individual behaviors around mealtime activities), this new study shows that both dimensions are closely linked in families.

The research team studied 500 plus families with elementary school-aged children from the state of Illinois. Family members were asked questions on food security, food planning and preparation, and mealtime organization. Analysis of data resulted in three different groups or family profiles.

The first profile with 55% of the sample population reported the lowest food insecurity levels and household chaos, with the highest efficacy in preparing food.

With 27% of the sample, the second profile reported food insecurity, the lowest levels of confidence in preparing and planning meals, and most difficulty in daily structure and routine at home.

The third profile group, comprising 18% of the sample, had average food security (between the other two groups), with high meal planning efficacy and low household chaos (similar to the food secure group).

“We need to ensure families have access to healthy food. But we also need to make sure individuals within the family feel competent to prepare and plan meals, and the day-to-day organization at home has some stability and routine,” he states.

Findings also showed that families from the second profile reported fewer weekly meals together, higher technology use during meals, and greater usage of away-from-home food preparation strategies than families in the other groups. All these behaviors correlate with less healthy food consumption and outcomes, Barton explains.

However, all families were equally likely to shop for food in various stores, including grocery stores, discount stores, and big-box stores. All three groups also shared challenges like dealing with picky eaters and wanting easy menu ideas.

The research also serves as a basis for policymakers to address structural issues around food access and provides suggestions for changes within the home.

“These mundane aspects of family life that may seem trivial are formative. Think about one aspect that you want to improve in this area – whether it’s having more healthy meals, less screen usage during meals, learning about different food banks, or just having more meals together during the week – and then develop a strategy to go about doing it,” Barton concludes.

‘Mealtimes have beneficial effects on health and well-being, but making all families realize that is very complicated.’
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