- Family, friends, neighbours, co-workers
- Quality time, communication, relationships
- Food traditions, generations, culture
- Explore new foods you might not normally try
- Part of celebrations and events
- Put away the screens (TV, phones, tablets)
There are many benefits to eating with others including:
- Enjoying quality time together
- Sharing food traditions
- exploring new foods you might not normally try
For children, studies have found that family meals can results in children eating more vegetables and fruit.
How to support this in schools?
- Encourage students to sit down to have their meals. Ask them to put away all screens so they can focus on eating and enjoy the social aspects of eating
- Practice role modelling – join students during their meal times, remember to keep your phone/screen away!
- Ensure students have enough time to sit down and eat so they do not feel rushed. This can help them to enjoy their food