Share a meal with your family, share memories for a lifetime

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - Research shows that eating together at mealtime is an important aspect of family life. Eating as a family can benefit you and your loved ones physically, socially and emotionally.

The Three sat down with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Odessa Keenan to discuss the importance of family bonding over a hot meal.

According Keenan, there are three main benefits to eating as a family.

“Number 1 it’s in the name, having time to connect with your family. [The second one] is to create a positive relationship with food, [and] doing that at dinner builds a relationship with the kid and their meals. The last one is if you can get them involved in the whole family mealtime process, it’s a great way to build those life skills,” explained Keenan.

Keenan says she understands life can get hectic, but she recommends parents or guardians get in the habit of planning.

She suggests, “planning out your availability of the week, planning out which meals you can fit into that time slot, and then [getting] your family involved.”

Keenan says getting the kids to help out help will save you time and will help them with their confidence and independence.

Copyright 2023 KBTX. All rights reserved.