Harry Balzer, vice president of the NPD Group reports that changes in American eating patterns have less to do with which foods we eat, than how those foods are being prepared or purchased. In 1997, the number of restaurant meals purchased annually reached an all-time high of 136 per capita, and for the second straight year the number of take out meals outpaced the number eaten in the restaurant. American Dietetic Association News Release on Food Trends, October 23, 1997. Teens in the Kitchen Researchers from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center surveyed 500 teens and concluded that those who ate with adult family members an average of at least 5 times a week were more likely to do well in school, have better relationships with peers, and were less likely to use drugs or suffer from depression, compared with those teens who ate with their parents only three times a week. In another survey, The National Pork Producers Council polled 500 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 nationwide about their involvement in preparing family dinners.
Older teens are more likely to shop for groceries and help with food preparation.
Conflicting schedules, extracurricular activities and parents' work schedules were the main reasons why teens were on their own for dinner. Ninety percent of the teens surveyed said they enjoy eating dinner with their families. Teens may be receptive to helping organize family dinners because they enjoy eating together. Ask everyone in the family to make time in their schedule to sit down for a meal together at least once a week and then stick to it. Sharpen shopping skills.