For a brief overview of the research findings on the status of family meals, click here.

This document comes from Dietitians of Canada’s Practice-Based Evidence in Nutrition (PEN) tool, where a summary of the key evidence regarding eating together is available. It can be accessed through the Eating Together Knowledge Pathway. In this pathway, the following practice questions are addressed:

• What are the nutritional benefits for children and adolescents who frequently eat together with at least one other family member present?

• What are the nutritional benefits for older adults who frequently eat together with others in residential care settings or in the community?

• Are there non-nutritional benefits for children and adolescents who eat meals frequently with their parents/family?

• Are there non-nutritional benefits for older adults who eat together?

• What are the barriers to eating together and how can practitioners support eating together?

The Knowledge Pathway includes a list of research articles on the topic. The PEN tool is a subscription service. To learn more about PEN and how to subscribe to PEN, click here.