A groundbreaking global study has just shown what we suspected all along: Eating together does make us happier! On this episode of The Family Dinner Project Podcast, Annie and Bri sit down with one of the study's co-authors, Micah Kaats, to dive deep into what he and his team learned about happiness and shared meals.

Key Takeaways:

• Go to 1:50 for Micah's overview of the key findings
• Go to 9:54 for a discussion about the clear upward trend in young people eating alone
• Go to 16:41 for a TFDP subscriber question about eating alone
• Go to 22:13 for a breakdown of cultural differences
• Go to 25:04 for a breakdown of gender differences
• Go to 32:06 for food, fun, and conversation ideas related to this episode

Related Episodes and Links:

• Episode 2 (“Is it the Family, or the Dinner?”)
• World Happiness Report 2025: Chapter 3
• Micah's salad recipe
• Cat and Cow Game
• Try Not to Laugh Challenge

About Micah: Micah Kaats is a PhD candidate in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School where he researches the drivers and downstream effects of happiness and social connectedness. He also serves as a Research Associate for the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University and Senior Analyst for the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. He has designed, implemented, and supervised studies of more than 20,000 participants in over 24 countries. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Economist, Vox, and Forbes. He holds Master’s degrees in Applied Ethics and Economic Policy from Utrecht University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from UPenn.

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We tend to think of family dinners as being about the kids. But all families start with two people, and some families stay that way. What does the research tell us about the benefits of shared meals for adults? And how can couples use their dinners together as a way to strengthen their bond and connect with one another, no matter how many children are at the table, or what phase of life they're in?

In this episode, Bri and Annie draw on Annie's decades of experience in family therapy, as well as their work together on The Family Dinner Project and their own personal experiences, to share strategies for couples. They talk about how to negotiate getting started with a shared meal routine early in a relationship, why it matters, and how eating together regularly can strengthen a sense of teamwork and boost mental health. Moving through the years, Bri and Annie point out that keeping family meals on the calendar can promote marital satisfaction if kids are part of the equation. And as relationships progress, they share tips and ideas for keeping the spark alive no matter how mealtimes change in the face of life's demands.

Key Takeaways:

• Go to 3:39 for Dr. Anne Fishel's thoughts on "What makes family meals so important for couples, given that there are all these other ways they have to connect?"
• Go to 7:00 for a quick overview of the most relevant research into the benefits of family meals for adults, including better conflict resolution and improved mental health
• Go to 13:47 for a discussion of how new couples starting out together can navigate setting up shared meals in a way that benefits them both
• Go to 18:04 for thoughts on how adding babies and toddlers to the mix might change a couple's mealtimes -- and how to preserve your connection
• Go to 24:03 to hear about the "messy middle" of life and how to get out of a dinner rut, keep shared meals on the calendar despite competing priorities, and keep the "spark" alive
• Go to 29:04 for food, fun, and conversation ideas for couples, from ways to use food as a love language to smart in-depth conversation starters and ways to bond over a shared interest during your meals

Related Episodes and Links:

• Episode 5 ("Labor of Love")
• Episode 2 ("Is it the Family, or the Dinner?")
• "Stuck at Home With Your Partner? Look to Retirees to Make it Work"
• "Benefits of Family Dinner for Adults"
• "Family Starts with Two"
• "Just the Two of Us" Newsletter

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It's a New Year, and we're not talking about resolutions. In this episode, Bri and Annie explore the idea of setting intentions for the family dinner table, to help families get the most out of their shared meals. They delve into the recent research on how families adapted their mealtimes during COVID, and how those experiences have shaped attitudes and ideas about eating together ever since. The research shows that what we most often set resolutions around -- nutrition and healthy eating habits -- actually isn't what matters most to us.

What do families want out of their dinners? Relationships, connection, and bonding. Bri and Annie share lots of ideas to help build on those principles, as well as other aspirations individual families might want to pursue. They talk about how to approach the idea of setting an intention or two for your mealtimes this year; how to talk to kids and fellow household adults to get everyone involved in the process; and how to handle a reluctant partner who may not share your goals. They also offer wisdom on what to do with competing priorities, how to get started if you just feel stuck, and how to reframe your thinking around common challenges like picky eating. The episode ends with suggestions for meal planning, theme nights, and some fun activities to help improve your family meals this year.

Like this content? Check out these additional links and related episodes:

• The Family Dinner Project Podcast Episode 5: Labor of Love?
• The Family Dinner Project Podcast Episode 4: Picky or Problematic?
• Dinner and a Movie ideas
• Book-related dinner ideas
• Research Shows Family Dinner Improves Literacy (plus games and conversation starters)
• The Humming Bee Breathing exercise
• The 5,4,3,2,1 Activity
• The Family Dinner Project Podcast Episode 2: Is it the Family, or the Dinner?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.