How to Handle Family Meals

March 1 -- The picture of a comfortable family seated around the table having a leisurely dinner seems a quaint Norman Rockwell scene that these days can be far from reality.

Work schedules, after-school activities, sports practices, kids' jobs and volunteer work all seem to conspire against the institution of the family dinner. Even if everyone is home, there's the challenge of getting a half-way appetizing meal on the table at the end of a tiring workday.

Yet, the benefits of having the family eat together are far-reaching.

Teenagers who eat dinner with their families five times or more a week do better in school and are less likely to smoke, drink or use drugs than children who do so twice a week or less, according to research conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

Younger children benefit from family dinners, too. For one thing, they have a better vocabulary, thanks to the exposure to more grown-up conversations, says Martha Marino, a dietitian for the Washington State Dairy Council and a member of the Nutrition Education Network of Washington.

There are also nutritional benefits. Kids who eat with their families frequently eat healthier food — more fruits and vegetables, more dairy products — than children who eat with their families less frequently. And they take those healthy eating habits with them when they leave the house. Research shows that children who eat with their families make healthier food choices when eating out with their peers, according to Marino. They're more likely to eat breakfast, even when a parent is not there forcing them to.

Whether or not a family has dinner together is also a key measure of how well it functions. Pediatricians frequently ask families to tell them about meal times. "It's a marker," says Marino. "If a parent is organized enough to have family meals on a regular basis, that says a lot about having order in the home."