The Researchers In Their Native Habitat
January 4, 2010
At the University of Minnesota, for more than a decade, nutritionists at Project EAT have been studying the benefits of family meals.
The researchers range from graduate students in their early 20s to faculty members in their 50s. One of the lead researchers, Jayne Fulkerson, says, "We've had different experiences. But we all feel like the topic is important."
Fulkerson says that, among the older academics, "Growing up, more of us had meals together than didn't. Now, a lot of the college age kids say, 'I never eat. I don't know if I really eat meals – I eat food.'"
She explains that they eat by themselves at irregular times. "They might say, I had something to eat about 3 o'clock. They may be eating healthy foods, but it's not a meal per se." But, she says, as they get older and form lasting relationships, their meal behavior tends to change.
Fulkerson herself is the parent of a 12-year-old, and she makes sure to have regular family meals. She says, "Sometimes my younger colleagues tease me. They say, 'I'm going to have pizza in front of the t.v. I bet Jayne never does that.'" If she does, she isn't telling.
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today.