The Obamas Have Family Dinner Almost Every Night
By: Marissa Brassfield
Published: October 14, 2011

If you think your family is too busy to have dinner together as a family, take a page from the Obamas' book: First Lady Michelle Obama told Al Roker of "Today" that they eat family dinner almost every night. "That's something that we do. 6:30, as much as possible, we sit down for dinner. The president's schedule stops. He comes up for dinner. He may have to go back to the office, but we eat dinner together."
The First Lady encouraged more families to eat together for health reasons: "What it does, No. 1, it forces families to cook. Which is another way to, you know, be healthy, is preparing food at home. And I think what we find is that when you're sitting around the table having a conversation, you're not focused on how much you can eat. You're focused on trying to get your point in. And you slow down..."
Growing up in my house, we ate dinner together every night, no matter what, and we very rarely went out to eat. It's definitely a tradition I want to continue when I have a family of my own one day. Is family dinner a daily tradition in your household?

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The Fresh 20
October 14, 2011

We believe in family dinner. It takes planning. It takes commitment. It's worth the trouble. We're here to make it easier.