Bringing Families Back to the Dinner Table

At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we know how important family dinners are. And we truly hope that others realize it as well. Family dinners are more than just a “nice tradition” but a necessity for strong family bonds. According to a study done, teens who frequently eat dinner with their families have a leg-up in being successful in life. Let me elaborate.

According to the study, done at Columbia University, which compared adolescents who ate dinner with their families 0-2 times per week to adolescents who ate with their families 5-7 times per week, those who ate infrequently with their families were:

· Three times more likely to have used marijuana
· Two and a half times more likely to use tobacco
· One and a half times more likely to use alcohol

The survey actually reveals that teens, in fact, prefer to eat dinner with their families. 84% of teens prefer to have dinner with their families, and of that group that prefers to eat with their families, 92% prefer to eat dinner together 5-7 times per week. When teens are not eating dinner with their families, they frequently report: eating dinner at home by themselves, eating at a friend’s house, eating fast-food, or skipping dinner altogether.

Family dinners also predict a teen’s academic performance. According to the study, teens who eat 5-7 meals per week with their families are more than seven times as likely to receive mostly A’s and B’s than they are to receive mostly C’s and below. If a teen eats less than 3 family meals each week, they are twice as likely to get poor grades at school.

The study surveyed over 1000 teens and 500 parents and aimed at identifying risk factors for teen substance abuse, poor academic performance, and other risk factors. At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, our chefs eliminate busy parents’ excuses for not eating dinner together as a family. Family dinners are not something to be taken lightly, especially when it comes to raising healthy, successful children. If you feel you’re tight on time, or cooking is simply not your strong suit, but you don’t want to sacrifice family dinners any more, please reach out to Atlanta Personal Chef Service. We’re here to serve you.