Sitting down as a family to share meals is an unquestioned benefit in more ways than one.
Apart from the obvious benefits such as socialising and conversation, it creates opportunities for parents to encourage good eating habits and appropriate table manners and also means parents can keep an eye on what their children are actually eating.
However according to recent research many of these benefits are lost if the television is on during mealtimes.
According to a survey of more than 1,300 low-income families taking part in New York's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, the likelihood that children are offered at least two fruits or three vegetables each day increases with each night the family ate dinner together.
But that probability decreases with each night the TV is on during the family dinner.
Researcher Lynn S. Edmunds, a registered dietitian with the New York State Department of Health, Albany, says the benefits of eating dinner as a family do not overcome the negative effects of having the television on during the meal and she advises parents to turn the television off during family mealtimes.
The researchers say Hispanic and black parents reported having the TV on during dinner more often than white parents, while Hispanics and whites ate dinner together more often than black families.
Less educated parents also were more likely to have the TV on during the family dinner.