A latest study has found that children who eat the same food as their parent have healthier diets.
The research done by the University of Edinburgh studied the family meal habits of over 2000 children of five years of age. The study found that an "unpleasant atmosphere" while eating could negatively affect a child's diet.
A quarter of parents of these children said that they did not get time for family meals. "Eating the same food is more important than eating together," said Valeria Skafida, a research fellow at the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Research for Families and Relationships.
She said, "It's good news for a parent with busy work schedules who can't eat with their kids. They shouldn't feel bad. If you can't eat with them, then at least make sure they eat the same food as you.
"It is likely that in cases where children eat different foods, they are eating a less nutritious option, " she added.
The study also said that not eating a main meal during the day and munching snacks between meals can affect a child's diet. Also eating in living rooms or bedrooms is not healthy.
According to Dr Colin Michie, chair of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health's nutrition committee, if families have meals together, children would not suffer from iron deficiency. "If they sat together there are fewer chances of the kids manipulating the parent over food," he told Daily Mail.
The study also found that firstborn children had healthier diets compared to their younger siblings.
