Longer meal times could get kids to eat healthier, study says

BOSTON - Could longer meal times get children to eat more fruits and vegetables?

Previous research has shown that family meals are associated with healthier nutrition in kids but a new study finds the length of time a family dines together may also make a difference.

A team of German scientists studied 50 parent-child pairs who were fed two evening meals with cold cuts, bite-sized pieces of fruits and vegetables, and dessert. One meal lasted 20 minutes, which is the typical duration for a family dinner. The other meal lasted 30 minutes.

They found that the school-aged children ate significantly more fruit and vegetables during the longer meal without eating more dessert.  

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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