The demise of the family meal is a myth

More good news for our Back To The Table campaign - new research out this week suggests that family dining is still an integral part of most family's lives. The Future Foundation research carried out for Kellogg's found that 82% of families in the UK sat down to an evening meal with the whole family most of the time. In Scotland, a staggering 92% of families made time for a regular family supper.

The research found two new trends with regard to family meals. One was that working parents are more confident in leaving work on time or even early to make it home for the family meal. They also found that where families are busiest, the family meal has become a 'ritual' time when families make time to sit down and talk to each other.

Changes in the family supper since the 1960s showed that families eat later – 6.30pm is now the most popular time rather than 5.30pm was 45 years ago. And families are more likely to use ready meals during the week, leaving cooking from scratch to the weekends.

• Raisingkids' Back To The Table campaign
  
• Your tips for great family meal ideas
  
• Our Parent-to-parent Talk Forums