We Asked 1,200 Families About Their Eating Habits—And 82% Prioritize This One Thing

Yahoo

08-05-2025

Fact checked by Sarah ScottThe family dinner is still a thing, with 82% of families still making it a priority.
Family dinners are a time to connect and catch up.
The cost of feeding your family is rising. Families report going over budget for about four months of the year.With six children who participate in different activities—always on conflicting days and times—it's not easy to gather for a family meal. But, despite modern life pulling us in all sorts of directions, we still make it a priority to eat dinner together at least one or two times a week. The experience feels like listening to a marching band in a hurricane, but hey, at least we try.
We aren't alone. According to Parents Family Food Study, much like our crew, most families still place a high value on the family dinner, even with our increasingly digital lives and diverse schedules. To be honest, that's pretty refreshing.
The survey of 1,200 people with kids under age 18 living in the home uncovered some truly fascinating statistics about the state of the family meal. For instance, families are actually enjoying eating at home four to five times per week.
Additionally, the study found these things to be true about how families are doing dinner these days:
82% consider dinner to be the main family meal.
About 80% say dinner is a time to catch up and connect, as well as to make core family memories, and they would make time for the family meal no matter what.
91% plan meals for the week.
67% have a picky eater in the bunch.
44% have a family member with a dietary restriction, while over half say it affects how the entire family eats.
59% of kids help make dinner.
So what are the main topics of conversation around the dinner table? Relationships, friends, and school, with other topics ranging from jokes to pop culture, top the list. Families are also emphasizing mealtime traditions like no tech, themed meals, and talking about each family member's 'highs and lows.'
With school and activities, jobs and household obligations, as well as an ever-increasing array of devices commanding our attention, it can sometimes feel like my husband, kids, and I are just ships passing in the night, without exchanging more than a few words to one another.
So, as Stacy Thiry, a licensed family therapist at Grow Therapy, notes, 'Family dinner is more than just a meal.' She says about the evening meal, 'It's a ritual, a safe space, and sometimes, the only time in a day when everyone is truly present with one another.'
Sarah Schlichter, MPH, RDN, host of the Managing Mealtime Madness podcast and creator of Bucket List Tummy, agrees.
'Family dinners are even more important than ever in this digital time,' she tells Parents.
The mistake some make is thinking that the family has to gather every night for a meal to get it right. But Thiry says even eating together once or twice a week offers a chance to reconnect. She encourages parents not to strive for perfection.
'Just focus on making it somewhat consistent, and it needs to be real,' Thiry advises. The most important thing is that you are present at the table.
'If your family dinner happens at 8 p.m. after sports practice, with takeout on paper plates around the coffee table, that still counts!' she says.
Gabrielle Lyon, DO, a board-certified physician, bestselling author, and founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine, echoes that sentiment, saying, 'Don't worry if it's messy or loud. Connection thrives in authenticity, not perfection.'
The same principle of not attempting to achieve perfection applies when you are dealing with picky eaters or family members with dietary restrictions. Indeed, you can still make family dinnertime happen even if everyone isn't on the same plate, er, page.
'The key here is to focus on connection over control,' Thiry advises.
Ways to satisfy all dietary needs and preferences, and reduce overall mealtime stress, include:
Offering build-your-own meals. Ideas include tacos, grain bowls, or pasta. With this approach, everyone has some autonomy while still eating the same core meal, according to Thiry.
Planning theme nights. Everyone loves a taco Tuesday and pizza Friday. Per Schlichter, theme nights also reduce the mental fatigue of planning, plus the whole family knows what to expect.
Preparing side items that everyone will eat. While the protein or other main meal item may be different, each person can add the same fruits, veggies, and a roll to their plate, per Schlichter.
Meal plan with a partner. Don't take on the task of deciding what to eat all week alone, advises Kary Rappaport, OTR/L, MS, SCFES, IBCLC, and Kimberly Grenawitzke, OTD, OTR/L, SCFES, IBCLC, CNT at Solid Starts. They also recommend collaborating on meal ideas with friends to keep things fresh.
Finally, batch prepping ingredients on the weekend provides many benefits. One of those benefits is that meal items can be at-the-ready for each dietary need come dinnertime. Dr. Lyon suggests chopping veggies, cooking grains, and marinating proteins on a set day, which also takes the pressure off during busy weekdays.
Lena Bakovic, MS, RDN, CNSC at Live It Up, encourages all family members to help with meal prep. (If time allows in that busy schedule we keep talking about!)
'Getting everybody involved with this may also help to decrease stress,' Bakovic says. As a bonus, tackling the task together provides an opportunity to connect and have meaningful conversations, free of distractions.
Just don't forget to recruit the troops for clean up as well!
It's undeniable that family dinnertime is important for a variety of reasons.
'Sitting together at the table—without phones, without distractions—gives children and adults alike a moment of emotional grounding that's often missing from our fast-paced lives,' Dr. Lyon stresses.
She says that family mealtime also affords parents with an opportunity to model healthy nutrition for kids.
But with the rising cost of food, shopping for meals the whole family will enjoy can also be fraught with stress. Our Parents Family Food Study found that families are spending about $700 per month on groceries, and that parents are going over budget about four months of the year.
If you are looking for cost savings for your family dinners, here are a few ideas to try:
Plan meals around what's on sale.
Buy bulk foods.
Shop canned and frozen options.
Lean into leftovers.
Ultimately, the experts we talked to say it's more valuable than ever to keep trying to make family dinners happen, no matter the obstacles. Rappaport and Grenawitzke leave parents this takeaway:
'When the habit is set early, it's much more likely this tradition will continue.'
Read the original article on Parents