Food plays a wider role in our lives than simple nourishment; it’s a powerful catalyst for sparking connections and bringing people together. For most people, food is deeply tied to family culture and togetherness. Our strongest memories often revolve around cooking and preparing meals and gathering together and breaking bread at a shared table.
Yet one recent survey, funded by the American Heart Association, found that 84% of adults wish they could share a meal together more often. Respondents reported eating alone about half of the time, despite 91% of parents surveyed reporting that their families are less stressed when they eat together.
With many older adults experiencing social isolation and loneliness, meal sharing can be incredibly beneficial for health and well-being.
Benefits of Sharing Meals with Others for Seniors
Physical Health
Older adults may naturally experience lower levels of hunger and feel less motivated to eat regular meals. Dining with someone else provides motivation not to skip meals and improve their overall nutrition.
This might mean seniors are more likely to consume more healthful, well-rounded meals including protein and vegetables, as opposed to something they might quickly prepare for only themselves. In turn, this increases the likelihood that they’re taking in enough calories and consuming more naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, like iron and calcium.
Additionally, sitting down to share a meal naturally helps offset feelings of loneliness, which decreases the risk of conditions like heart disease and dementia.
Social Health
Spending time at the table can help adults forge stronger connections with friends and family members or form a deeper connection with new friends or neighbors. In turn, this also helps reduce the risk of loneliness and isolation.
According to the Administration for Community Living, coming together over a meal also allows people to create meaningful connections with others as they share beliefs, cultural practices, and interests.
Learn how The Adventurous Eaters Club began at The Bristal >>
Mental Health
According to research by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), many older adults experience isolation, which can lead to a variety of health problems and a reduced quality of life.
Eating with others helps reduce isolation, which in turn reduces your risk of anxiety and depression.
Tips for Sharing a Meal More Often
The benefits of sharing more meals together may be easy to understand, but it can be hard to know where to get started.
If you, like 84% of the respondents in the AHA study, want to create social gatherings for mealtimes and share meals more often, try some of the following strategies and get more friends and family members around the table.
1. Take the Lead
Reach out to friends or family members and invite them to your home or to a local restaurant to catch-up over a meal. There’s no need to be fancy — something casual will work just fine!
2. Set Up a Rotating Potluck
Arrange a monthly rotating lunch or dinner. Each person can take turn hosting or providing food when it’s their turn.
3. All Hands on Deck
Prepare a meal together. Invite friends or family members to prepare or cook as a group, then enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of your labor together.
4. Host a Cook-Off
Choose a common meal or dessert and challenge a few family or friends to make their best version for a cook-off competition. Have the winner of the cook-off pick the next competition meal.
5. Schedule a Meet-and-Greet
Reach out to a few friends or family members and invite them to each bring another friend or family member with them to a shared meal. Not only will this energize the gathering with new faces and personalities, it’s a great way to meet new people!
6. Virtual Mealtime
There are a lot of reasons why meeting in person isn’t always possible, but it doesn’t have to limit meal sharing. If family or friends live too far away to travel for a meal, are limited in time, or need to distance for health reasons, you can always schedule to eat together virtually. Get the entire group together for an hour while never leaving the comfort of your own homes.
Discover the latest senior living dining trends >>
Community Dining at The Bristal
Residents at The Bristal can easily join others for a meal, whether it’s a light lunch or a sit-down, themed dinner.
Our award-winning chefs at The Bristal are committed to making every meal a memorable experience with flavorful, fun, nutritious, and creative dishes served daily. We collaborate with the Lifestyle Department to hold festive food tastings, competitions, demos, and themed lunches and dinners, such as Italian Night, Oktoberfest, Summer BBQs, and more.
Additionally, a commitment to healthy eating is vital to healthy living. We educate residents on how smarter eating promotes better health and well-being and offer heart-healthy, sugar-free, and no-salt-added options in each of our communities.
“We want to focus on mental and social as well as physical health with our dining program,” said Randy Tremble, Vice President of Food & Beverage. “Residents at The Bristal enjoy gathering around the table, whether for an everyday breakfast or one of our themed events.”
