Over the past 20 years, scientific research has shown that sharing a family meal is one of the most powerful things that parents can do for the spirit, brain and health of all family members. Studies link regular family meals to the kinds of outcomes that parents want for their children: resilience, higher grade-point averages, better nutrition, and lower rates of depression, substance use and obesity. Studies also show that sharing a family meal helps children feel more connected to their parents. It turns out that family meals do many of the same things I try to do as a family therapist!