By Kate Cohen
Updated July 2, 2026

 

For many people, dinnertime is the best time of the day.

It’s when everyone gathers around the table and engages in conversation, sharing stories and moments from throughout their day over a good meal.

 

 

But in a world that’s growing increasingly busy, it can be difficult to coordinate family schedules and work around extracurricular activities and events.

September is National Family Meals Month, a nationwide initiative from the FMI Foundation to reinforce the importance of eating together as a family.

Research has shown there are a multitude of benefits to family meals – socially, mentally, and physically.

At Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center, we strongly believe that spending time together results in better health, wellness, and connection.

Whether you’re enjoying a meal, hitting the pool, or going for a walk, family time is key to a healthy lifestyle, no matter your age.

 

Here’s a look at how you and your loved ones can celebrate Family Meals Month with healthy habits for the whole family.

 

Key Takeaways

• The Benefits of Eating Together
• Make Mealtime Fun and Interactive
• 5 Simple, Nutritious Meal Ideas for Busy Families
• How to Navigate Picky Eating
• Healthy Habits for the Whole Family at RAFC

 

The Benefits of Eating Together

 

 

Over the years, many studies have shown the benefits of sharing family meals together.

For example, families who eat together tend to make better nutritional choices. It often encourages portion control and reduces reliance on fast food and processed junk food.

Sitting and talking together strengthens family bonds, encourages communication, and even helps with stress management.

This shared time together particularly benefits kids, offering additional support for academic performance and emotional growth.

Teens also benefit from shared meals, including a lower risk of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, eating disorders, and obesity.

No matter the age of the people gathered around your table, everyone will take away confidence, connection, and a healthier lifestyle.

 

Make Mealtime Fun and Interactive

 

 

You don’t have to wait until everyone is seated around the table to enjoy mealtime together.

Let the kids help plan and prep meals, or even invite them into the kitchen to assist with cooking. You can enjoy each other’s company while they build confidence, independence, and good habits.

One of the best things you can do for a family meal is make it a screen-free experience. Have everyone put their phones and tablets away, turn off the TV, and focus on the people present around the table with you.

Need a little inspiration to kick off the dinner table convo?

Check out this list of engaging conversation starters that everyone can enjoy. Cut them out, put them in a jar, and take one or two out at every meal to learn more about each other.

 

5 Simple, Nutritious Meal Ideas for Busy Families

 

 

We get it – your family is busy!

Set yourself up for success this National Family Meals Month by preparing a menu of simple and nutritious meals that don’t take up much time and everyone will enjoy.

Here are a few ideas for easy weeknight dinners that take the pressure off the cook in your family.

1. Build-Your-Own Burrito Bowls: Everyone loves a customizable meal. Set out ingredients like rice, beans, fresh veggies, cheese, and the lean protein of your choosing for a well-balanced meal that lets everyone get exactly what they want.
2. Sheet Pan Salmon and Veggies: There’s nothing better than having fewer dishes to clean after dinner. Sheet pan salmon and veggies uses only one pan and is packed with healthy nutrients like Omega-3s and colorful healthy vegetables.
3. Pasta with Lean Protein and Veggie Sauce: Pasta with red sauce is a classic family meal. Make it even healthier by blending extra cooked veggies into your tomato sauce and topping it off with a lean protein like chicken breast, lentils, or turkey meatballs.
4. Chicken Wraps or Quesadillas and Fruit: Rushing home from sports practice or a good family workout at RAFC? Chicken wraps or melty quesadillas are a great quick, easy, and popular way to refuel. Serve with a side of seasonal fresh fruit for a sweet finish.
5. Smoothies: Starting your day together as a family? Or maybe you’re headed off to your next family activity together? Make creamy, healthy smoothies with ingredients like protein powder, spinach, frozen fruit, and Greek yogurt.

 

How to Navigate Picky Eating

 

 

Many families have at least one picky eater that makes family dinner more of a battleground than a place of peace.

There are several things you can do to try and navigate a picky palate.

First, know that picky eating is a common developmental phase, and you are far from alone. It’s normal for kids to prefer familiar foods and therefore need repeated exposure to new tastes and textures.

Utilize the “Parent Provides, Child Decides” approach, where you offer a variety of food and your little one chooses what and how much to eat. This alleviates power struggles and help build trust at the table.

Serving familiar “safe” foods with new ones puts picky eaters at ease knowing there’s something they like on their plate, just in case.

Another technique is the “try bite” strategy, where you encourage a picky eater to take one small “try bite” before they decide they don’t like it.

After the initial bite, there’s no pressure to keep eating it. Over time, they’ll grow comfortable approaching new flavors and textures.

Read the book “Just Try It” by Phil & Lily Rosenthal one evening and encourage your little one to try something new, just like Lil does in the story.

Be sure to celebrate progress, no matter how small. Acknowledge the importance of trying something new, rather than if they like it or not. Even touching or smelling a new food counts as a win!

 

Healthy Habits for the Whole Family at RAFC

 

 

Spending time together as a family doesn’t have to end at the dinner table.

Enjoy quality time together at our parent/child swim lessons or volunteering as a family at a local swim meet or national event.

Support one another in a fitness class or while working out at the Adam Michael Rosen Fitness Center (equipped with brand new Technogym equipment).

In the meantime, if nightly dinner isn’t possible, challenge your family to enjoy a shared meal together one to two nights per week.

After all, nothing is more important than family, and at RAFC, we’re glad you’re a part of ours.