The Family Dinner Project Podcast

As the holiday season ramps up, there’s more and more online chatter about switching up celebrations this year. Many families are turning to the idea of a simpler, less commercial celebration. In this final episode of Season 2, Bri and Annie talk about why a more handmade holiday may appeal to different families, and share lots of ideas for ways to lean into a low-shop season. They also discuss how to get family members on board, and suggest new traditions families can try to keep a festive spirit without consumer clutter.Key Takeaways:Go to 2:35 for Annie’s thoughts on why this shift may feel particularly appealing this yearGo to 7:18 for some of the most popular homemade gift ideas Bri and Annie have turned to over the yearsGo to 11:14 for a discussion about how to get reluctant family members on boardGo to 16:45 for some “gifts of experiences” ideasGo to 21:03 for new traditions and activities that can help take the focus off fewer giftsGo to 27:04 for food, fun, and conversation ideas to make the holiday season extra specialRelated Links:Podcast Episode 1: Home for the Holidays?Podcast Episode 7: Holiday PoliticsHomemade GiftsThe Family Dinner Project’s Holidays HubAnnie’s husband’s Latke recipeDinner and a Movie: Family Holiday Movies31 Days of Family Fun CalendarFamily Memory Bingo

On this episode of The Family Dinner Project Podcast, we invite Leslie Kimball of Responsibility.org to talk with us about the research demonstrating that family dinners can help prevent substance use, and how she and her team recommend parents and kids communicate about risk behaviors.Bri, Annie, and Leslie delve into the findings suggesting that a routine of connected, welcoming family meals is one tool parents have to keep kids from engaging in substance use and other risky behaviors. They share strategies to help parents manage and discuss their own alcohol use, engage with other parents around keeping kids safe, and most importantly, create the kind of positive and pleasant family dinner environments that promote open communication. Packed with tips, reassurance, and ideas for food, fun, and conversation, this episode is a must-listen for any parent who wants to help safeguard their children from substance use.Key Takeaways:Go to 3:00 for Dr. Anne Fishel's summary of the key research into substance use prevention and family mealsGo to 9:10 for Leslie's thoughts on how to talk about and model responsible consumptionGo to 16:35 for tips on making the dinner table a welcoming space for conversationGo to 20:05 for tips from Responsibility.org on opening up a discussion about alcohol useGo to 31:26 for hands-on food, fun, and conversation ideas you can use at your dinner tableRelated Links:Responsibility.org and Ask, Listen, LearnWhat to Know About Family Meals and Substance Use with Dr. Timothy WilensEpisode 6:Table TraumaEpisode 2: Is it the Family, Or the Dinner?Guess the EmotionRaggedy Ann Salad, Origami Dumplings, and Homemade PizzaAbout Leslie Kimball and Responsibility.org:Leslie Kimball is the executive director of Responsibility.org, and prior to becoming executive director, Leslie worked on the organization's programming and communications campaigns, including the Ask, Listen, Learn, and Parenting influencer programs. Responsibility.org is a national not-for-profit that aims to eliminate underage drinking, eliminate drunk driving, and work with others to end all impaired driving and empower adults to make a lifetime of responsible alcohol choices. As part of their mission to eliminate underage drinking, responsibility.org developed a free science and evidence-based digital prevention program for kids nine to 13, their parents and educators: Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix. The program, created in 2003, helps adults start conversations with kids about alcohol and the developing brain to prevent underage drinking, and is the most widely distributed program of its kind. 

Grocery prices are a hot topic these days. With prices on some items, like beef, at an all-time high, it's becoming more challenging to afford family meals. On this episode of The Family Dinner Project Podcast, Bri and Annie invite their colleague, Dr. Lauren Fiechtner, to share her perspective as a pediatrician and the Senior Health and Research Advisor at the Greater Boston Food Bank. Together, they discuss the food bank's research into the scale and implications of rising food insecurity; how families can access help as needed; what more could be done to help bridge the gap for struggling families; and how all of us can try to save more money at the store right now. Key Takeaways:Go to 7:22 for a discussion about the nutritional impacts of food insecurity on familiesGo to 10:14 to learn what the Greater Boston Food Bank has found about the community and civic impacts of food insecurityGo to 16:50 for ideas about how to save money on groceriesGo to 32:20 for food, fun, and conversation you can take back to your dinner tableRelated Links:Podcast Episode 6: Table TraumaPodcast Episode 4: Picky or Problematic?How to Get the Most out of a Roast ChickenDinner Tonight: Budget FriendlyThe Price Is...? GameEasy Pesto RecipeThe Greater Boston Food BankFeeding AmericaClick 'n' Cook

It's Back to School season, and we're talking about how to get back into the swing of family dinners during the busy nights ahead! In this episode of The Family Dinner Project Podcast, Bri and Annie tackle back to school family dinners: How to plan them, what to eat, and how to manage everyone's big feelings with smart conversation ideas. Plus, Annie gives advice on easing back into the routine, and challenges Bri to a "lightning round" with questions about different ages and stages. What to do when a teenager suddenly decides they're a vegetarian this school year? How to deal with a preschooler who suddenly won't eat their favorite foods? And how to manage the tough transition when one kid heads off to college and leaves an empty seat -- and a sibling -- behind?Key Takeaways:Go to 5:25 for Bri's tips on coming up with ideas for easy mealsGo to 14:53 for Annie's thoughts on transitioning into the school year with conversation and a ramp-up to routineGo to 20:11 for the "lightning round" -- Bri's answers to questions about teens experimenting with vegetarian diets, preschoolers who refuse their favorite foods, and the first family dinners after sending a child to collegeRelated Links:Back to School hub100 Alternatives to "How Was Your Day?"20 No-Fail Dinner IdeasPantry Stock-Up SheetsThe Meal Sorting PlannerWhat's Your Meal Planning Personality? QuizRankings Game

This mini-episode is a special edition! We're answering a tough question submitted to us by a Family Dinner Project follower on Instagram:“I have a partner who feels dinnertime is time to eat and not talk. I do my best to see his perspective. Our littles have trauma related to foster care, so they tend to talk so much that it takes them over an hour to eat. One has sensory processing and has been through feeding therapy. She has a limited diet to begin with, and we want to maximize her intake. Both have ADHD. Any suggestions?”Key Takeaways:Go to 2:43 for the beginning of a discussion on how to untangle family dinner dynamics from nutritional intakeGo to 6:58 for a conversation about handling sensory processing challenges at dinnertimeGo to 10:28 for strategies to help with time management without adding pressure to the tableGo to 12:30 for a discussion of the relationship dynamics involved in this question, and how to handle the difference of opinion between the two parenting partnersRelated Episodes and Links:Episode 6: Table TraumaEpisode 4: Picky or Problematic?Episode 9: Just the Two of UsThe Welcoming Table Resources

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 findingsGo to 9:54 for a discussion about the clear upward trend in young people eating aloneGo to 16:41 for a TFDP subscriber question about eating aloneGo to 22:13 for a breakdown of cultural differencesGo to 25:04 for a breakdown of gender differencesGo to 32:06 for food, fun, and conversation ideas related to this episodeRelated Episodes and Links:Episode 2 (“Is it the Family, or the Dinner?”)World Happiness Report 2025: Chapter 3Micah's salad recipeCat and Cow GameTry Not to Laugh ChallengeAbout 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.

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 healthGo 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 bothGo 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 connectionGo 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" aliveGo 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 mealsRelated 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

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 ideasBook-related dinner ideasResearch Shows Family Dinner Improves Literacy (plus games and conversation starters)The Humming Bee Breathing exerciseThe 5,4,3,2,1 ActivityThe Family Dinner Project Podcast Episode 2: Is it the Family, or the Dinner?

In this episode, Bri and Annie talk about the consequences of the 2024 US Presidential Election on family Thanksgiving and holiday dinner plans. Whether families are planning to spend the day together and try not to talk about politics at all, or are finding themselves in the midst of rupture and canceled plans, there are feelings to sort through and ways to make the day easier for everyone.Bri and Annie discuss the potential grief of family estrangement; how to keep things polite and positive if there are guests at the table who don't share political views; and strategies for keeping the tension low at a very difficult time. They offer examples to help families plan new and different celebrations if they're not joining the traditional Thanksgiving table this year, and ideas for managing compromise if you're a "small-dose" family or want to see some people, but not others. They talk about navigating hurt feelings, canceled invitations, and setting ground rules for your own celebrations. The episode ends with suggestions for choosing foods this year -- will you go traditional or unique? -- as well as games and conversation resources that could help keep the peace, like Holiday Would You Rather?, The Hat Game, a Thanksgiving Storytelling prompt, and questions about resilience that may resonate this year.