The Albert family: From Spaghetti O’s to ‘Ratatouille’ Sauce

Scott, a divorced father, wanted to change his sons’ habit of eating “easy” dinners while watching television. Through The Family Dinner Project, his children became more involved in cooking and playing fun dinnertime games.

The Baker family: Reconnecting through great food and laughter

The Baker family started with haphazard meals, emotional outbursts during dinnertime and their two daughters using cell phones at the table. In order to create more family harmony, they learned how to collaborate on delicious meals.

The Cunningham family: Sushi, songs, and bananagrams – creating a sense of family

Mary, her boyfriend Andrew and her 7-year-old daughter, Maggie, were in the process of forming a new family. They used group cooking sessions and fun games to encourage family bonding and thoughtful conversation.

The Donald family: Many nations, one table

Emily Donald is a single, middle-aged woman who hosts international students in her home. She wanted to find new recipes and interesting ways to foster conversation, and she tried out recipes and conversation starters from The Family Dinner Project website to help achieve these goals.

The Gables family: A full plate of responsibilities

With three jobs, three children, and two elderly parents to look after, finding time to make a healthy dinner was a challenge for Paula Gables. With The Family Dinner Project, Paula increased the number of times her family ate together and found new ways to put fresh food on the table.

The Gupta family: A recipe for more peace and appreciation

Although the Guptas regularly ate nutritious meals together, conversation was sometimes strained, particularly between their two teenage children. By participating in The Family Dinner Project, the family was able to have more stress-free dinner discussions.

The Jackson family: Balancing dinner with football practice

Sarah Jackson and her husband were looking for fun ways to get their 8-year-old twins to participate in dinner. By letting the kids be “in charge” of the meals, the twins became more involved in cooking, and the family enjoyed new recipes together.

The Johnson family: From “eat and scatter” to “stay and play”

With their busy schedules, the Johnson family usually rushed through meals, making relaxation difficult. This is the story of how they learned to slow down and enjoy healthy food together.

The Levine family: Getting an only child more involved in dinner

Ben and Allison Levine loved cooking and wanted to encourage their teenage daughter, Amy, to become more involved in the kitchen.  Through The Family Dinner Project, Allison helped shop and plan for meals, and the family had more lively conversations.

The Mullen family: One table, three teenagers and many distractions

The Mullens and their three teenage children often ate at different times, with cell phones and television shows interrupting their meals. By the end of their participation in The Family Dinner Project, they had cut down on distractions and were trying exciting new recipes from our website.

The Shapiro family: Eating out to create conversation

A single mother with two pre-teen children, Melanie wanted her family to eat higher quality food and experience less stress during meals. Taking part in The Family Dinner Project helped Melanie realize that distractions made it difficult for her family to have peaceful meals at home, but there were other ways for them to connect over a meal.