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The relation between family meals and health of infants and toddlers: a review
While family meals can positively influence the health of children and adolescents (eating together as a family is linked with lower obesity rates), this 2018 review investigates whether these health benefits also apply to infants and toddlers. Descriptive data showed that mothers plan a structured mealtime, but the family do not always manage to eat together. According to the statistics, having family meals more often leads to increased consumption of high-nutrient foods and a more balanced diet. In this review, parents highlighted different facilitators and barriers to family meals. One of the merits of family meals was its social importance, while the planning aspect and the possibility that things can get messy were construed by some as obstacles. Nevertheless, structured mealtimes and family meals were related to more enjoyment of the food, and less fussy and emotional eating. Despite the scarcity of relevant studies, it appears that the positive relationship between family meals and child health in older children may also exist in infants and toddlers. Since family meals were linked with more food enjoyment, improved nutrient consumption, and less fussiness and emotional eating, these may play a crucial role in the promotion of healthy eating in toddlers and infants. [NPID: family meals, children, adolescents, infants, toddlers, family dinners, healthy, eating as a family, balanced diet, emotional eating, enjoying food]
Year: 2018
