Family Dinners About More Than Just Food

In his farewell address to the nation, President Ronald Reagan notably remarked, “All great change in America begins at the dinner table.”  It wasn’t until we opened Andaman Thai Cuisine that I began to truly understand what President Reagan might have meant.

Walk into our restaurant any night of the week and along with the sweet and pleasing aromas of lemongrass, cilantro, kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil, and fresh mint, you’ll see an encouraging sight:  kids and parents of all backgrounds sitting down, as families, to enjoy dinner together.  

On days I’ve been in the restaurant, I’ve overheard more than a few family conversations.  Some discuss school and work.  Others tell stories and jokes.  Many chat about the latest movies or sports scores.  Families exhibit their share of bickering, too.

The conversations may be different, but a growing body of academic research says the result is the same:  Eating dinner together can have an enormous positive impact on the attitudes, behaviors, and ultimate success of your family.

According to a recent study by Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, having frequent family dinners—not just the special holiday feast, but regular dinners at least five times per week—reduces by half the chances kids abuse alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs.

Other studies support these findings.  Want your kids to perform better in school?  Teens who have regular dinners with their families are substantially more likely to get A’s and B’s.  Concerned about the prospect of teen depression, eating disorders, violent behavior, or even suicide?  Studies show that family dinners can help lower the risks of such problems, too.  

If these reasons alone aren’t convincing enough, consider that regular family dinners are also directly linked to better overall nutrition, weight management, and health.  When we’re fending for dinner on our own, too many of us load up on unhealthy foods.  But eat dinner together as a family and researchers from Harvard, Baylor, and the University of Minnesota tell us that we consume more fruits, vegetables, fiber, and vitamin-rich foods.

Think about it:  When was the last time you grabbed a quick dinner on the go and munched on handfuls of spinach or Brussels sprouts?

It’s also interesting to note that families who eat together on a regular basis report better conversation, less TV watching during meals, lower levels of tension, and less junk foods than those who eat together three or fewer times per week.  Put another way, the less often a family dines together, the worse the experience may be when they do share a meal.

If parental engagement is critical to teen development, then one of the most efficient and effective ways for parents to stay engaged may be to eat dinner each night with their kids.

One thing I’ve learned from owning Andaman Thai Cuisine is that a delicious Thai dish depends upon a chef taking the time to delicately balance the five flavors of sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter.  Perhaps making the extra effort to gather the family for dinner each night lends a similar balance and harmony to competing demands from our everyday lives.

So if we can be of any assistance with your next family dinner, please let us know.  We'd love to host you at the restaurant or else prepare a scrumptious family-style meal to go!