Share The Table® Movement Rallies All Families To Reconnect At Mealtime

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Families across the country are uniquely different, and yet we all experience the common need for shared mealtime and greater connection. To better understand the state of family mealtime, Barilla conducted a series of research[1],[2] surveying 2,000 respondents across the nation. The results show that seventy-six percent of respondents say dinner is the most important way to connect as a  family, yet mealtime is more disjointed now than ever with one in four families feeling disconnected. This breakthrough insight has sparked Barilla to create Share The Table® to help inspire, empower and support all families to enjoy more meaningful meals.

As part of this effort, Barilla is partnering with Dr. William J. Doherty, Director of Marriage & Family Therapy Program at the University of Minnesota, to share his expertise on the emotional and physical benefits that come from this family experience. "Through my research, I have found that both parents and kids experience increased happiness as a result of sharing the table," says Doherty. "The benefits for kids are immense, ranging from better grades to a stronger sense of confidence, independence and security and less feelings of stress."

Dr. Doherty shares the following tips to help make meals more meaningful:  

• Re-Direct Distractions: It's important for families to have rituals that provide thoughtfulness. Try asking children targeted questions; maybe it is the same question each day so they can think about their answers before they get to the table.
• Make Clean-up a Family Project: Kids like to get involved in the whole meal process from preparation to clean-up. More and more kids are seeking ownership of clean-up so let kids have some freedom, even if it's not done perfectly. This is an optimal time to engage between parents and kids as each can take on roles, one clearing dishes, one washing, one drying.
• Embrace Flexibility: Surprise – the whole family doesn't have to be at the table to have shared mealtime. The barriers to meaningful mealtime are numerous so it is important that everyone who can be there engages versus opting not to share a meal at all.

To raise awareness for meaningful meal benefits, Barilla developed a mealtime manifesto in the form of a video featuring children sharing why mealtime is important to them. A link to the video is available on www.ShareTheTable.com and YouTube.

INSPIRING AND EMPOWERING THROUGH REAL FAMILIES STORIES
In addition to conducting research studies, Barilla is aiming to empower all families to get back to the table by partnering with real-life families to understand the raw truth of the moments shared at mealtime. "Family mealtime has always been important to me and some of my best memories are of meals shared with family, in the many ways I define it," explains, Vikki Reich, a Share The Table® family panel member. "By simply sharing, we can all learn something from each other and some of our deepest conversations happen over dinner, ultimately benefitting everyone around the table."

Reich (Up Popped a Fox) will be joined by Jenny Flake (Picky Palate), Vanessa Bell (De Su Mama) and Fred Goodall (Mocha Dad) who will offer glimpses into their own homes sharing what mealtime looks like with their families, the challenges and barriers as well as the triumphs and benefits. These families will document their mealtime journeys, giving readers an intimate seat at their tables.  

SUPPORTING AND SHARING THE TABLE WITH ALL FAMILIES
Barilla invites everyone to follow along and join by sharing personal mealtime experiences using the hashtag #ShareTheTable – share a group shot of your family (#fammie), a messy kitchen, a delicious meal or maybe one that did not turn out quite right. For every post using #ShareTheTable from now through April 30, Barilla will help provide the monetary equivalent of ten meals ($1.11) to Feeding America®, up to one million meals. One dollar helps provide 9 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks. Barilla is committed to helping all families share the table.

For ideas, inspiration and more, visit at www.sharethetable.com or join Barilla on Facebook at Facebook.com/BarillaUS.

About the Barilla Group
Created in Parma in 1877 out of a shop that made bread and pasta, Barilla is today among the top Italian food groups, a world leader in the pasta and pasta sauce businesses in continental Europe, bakery products in Italy, and the crispbread business in Scandinavia. Currently, the Barilla Group owns 30 production sites (14 in Italy and 16 abroad) and exports to more than 100 countries. Every year, its plants turn out around 1,700,000 tons of food products that are consumed on tables all over the world, under the following brand names: Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Voiello, Pavesi, Academia Barilla, Wasa, Harrys (Francia and Russia), Misko (Grecia), Filiz (Turchia), Yemina and Vesta (Messico). For more information, please visit: www.barillagroup.com or www.barilla.com.

About Feeding America
Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 37 million people through 61,000 food pantries, community kitchens, and shelters in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit http://www.feedingamerica.org/. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

[1] Share The Table: The State of Dinnertime in America 2009 study
[2] Share The Table: The Benefits of Family Dinner 2010 study

Contact:
Katie Thelen
[email protected]
312-616-1679

Video - http://youtu.be/RKbkznwnU6Y
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140402/MM95946LOGO

SOURCE Barilla