‘Five-a-day 
benefits’ for 
families who 
eat together

The study of primary school-aged children by Leeds University also suggests children’s intake of fruit and vegetable is increased if parents cut up portions.

Overall, the study found that 63 per cent of children did not consume the World Health Organisation recommended amount of five portions, or 400 grammes a day.

Children who always ate a family meal together at a table consumed 125g, or one-and-a-half more portions of fruit and vegetables on average than children who never ate with their families.

Even those who reported eating together only once or twice a week consumed 95g, or 1.2 portions, more than those who never ate together.

Prof Janet Cade, of the university’s School of Food Science and Nutrition, said: “Even if it’s just one family meal a week, when children eat together with parents or older siblings they learn about eating.

“Watching the way their parents or siblings eat and the different types of food they eat is pivotal in creating their own food habits and preferences.”

Meaghan Christian, who conducted the study, said: “Modern life often prevents the whole family from sitting round the dinner table, but this research shows that even just Sunday lunch round the table can help improve the diets of our families.”

The study included dietary measurements from 2,389 children attending 52 primary schools from the boroughs of Wandsworth, Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, Sutton, Lewisham, Lambeth, Merton and Newham in Greater London.

Diet was assessed using a questionnaire separated into a School Food Diary and a Home Food Diary.

It is estimated that one in 10 children in the UK aged between two and 10 is obese.

In the last four years, the Department of Health has spent over £3.3m on the five-a-day campaign and a further £75m on the Change4Life campaign, designed to encourage families to improve their lifestyle through diet and exercise.