Eat, Laugh, Talk

The Family Dinner Project is a growing movement of food, fun, and conversation about things that matter. We are a nonprofit initiative housed at Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy.Our team members come from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds, brought together by our shared belief in the power of family dinners. We are parents and non-parents, from different types of families. Our ages range from "young professional" to "Medicare-eligible." Our collective professional experience includes education, family therapy, research, food, design, social work, marketing, and communication. We are working together, along with inspiring family dinner champions in numerous communities, to help families have more frequent and meaningful meals. We work both online and at community events to encourage families to share their experiences and learn from each other as they come together around the dinner table to benefit from the power of shared meals.Contributors:Lynn Barendsen, Executive DirectorBrianne DeRosa, Content ManagerAnne K. Fishel, PhD, CofounderShelly London, Creator and CofounderCindil Redick-Ponte, Assistant Executive Director

"The ideal cookbook to remind us that togetherness is the only perfection needed when it comes to dinnertime."- Carla Hall, chef and author of Carla Hall’s Soul Food"There's no doubt family dinner has proven social, emotional, and nutritional benefits for kids, but many parents grapple with a lot of obstacles (and guilt!) in trying to make it happen. Armed with these doable strategies, kid-friendly recipes, and dinner table games, families will feel empowered to gather around the table together more often to share meals—and make memories."- Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD, author of The 101 Healthiest Foods For Kids and founder of Real Mom Nutrition"Eat, Laugh, Talk is a heartfelt guide through 52 weeks of easy, diverse, and tasty recipes along with real-life examples from families and how different family dinner 'case examples' have been resolved. Alongside both some expected and some unusual family scenarios are tips for conversation starters and dinner table games that pair well with different family dinners. Bringing together actual research from family therapy and nutrition science in the narrative, this book is an easy-to-read, delightful way for any family (however it may define itself) to revamp and reinvent itself around a positive family dinner experience. African curry, dessert sushi, and more, are just a few of the tantalizing recipes you will find to whet your family's appetite!" - Uma Naidoo, MD, director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital