15 Habits of Healthy Families

A family who dines together, dines well together — and it encourages healthy communication, too. It turns out, children who have frequent meals with their family tend to consume more fruits, vegetables, fiber, calcium and vitamins — and less junk, according to resent research funded by the USDA.

“Eating meals together teaches children about healthy habits, and they carry that into their adult lives,” says Melissa Joy Dobbins, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “What they learn at the dinner table sets them up for the rest of their lives.”

In addition, “eating together supports healthy interactions and fosters communication,” says Dobbins. What better locale to kick off your morning with a pep talk or catch up on the day’s events? Turn off all phones and the TV and it’s just about the most perfect, undistracted family time you can ask for — which also makes it a natural setting to talk about big issues, like peer pressure, cheating and bullying.

Reviewed by Elaine Brown, MD on November 8, 2013

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