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Family mealtime influences youth eating habits

Sitting down as a family at the dinner table appears to play an important role in promoting healthful eating among adolescents, according to a study published in the February 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Researchers from the University of Minnesota found that children ages 11 to 18 who ate meals with their family consumed higher amounts of fruits, vegetables, grains and nutrient-dense foods than those who ate separately. Additionally, adolescents who consumed at least seven family meals per week had lower intakes of snack foods than those who ate fewer family meals.