About

Mealtimes Matter CIC is a social enterprise dedicated to improving physical, emotional and social wellbeing through positive mealtime experiences.

We are built on strong evidence showing that the way children learn about food — their sensory exposure to different types of food, their eating environments and the people around them  — shapes their confidence and long-term relationship with food.

Our work focuses on helping families, schools and community organisations create mealtime environments where children feel safe, supported and empowered to enjoy their food and eating with others. By reducing pressure, building trust and nurturing curiosity, we support the early prevention of disordered eating and help children develop lifelong healthy habits.

Families are navigating challenging food environments with an overwhelming choice of  children’s processed food options in supermarkets, high street convenience and changes to the accepted food preference norms.

We want to support parents to navigate these challenges more peacefully and enable more joyful mealtime experiences.

Benefits to children of creating and enjoying meals with others

SKILLS

  • Meal planning skills – learning to think ahead

  • Creative skills – involvement in exploring foods, recipes and creating meals

  • Communication skills – talking about food smells, textures and flavours

  • Fine motor skills – chopping, mixing, whisking, mashing and kneading

HEALTH & WELL-BEING

  • Mindful eating – slowing down enough at mealtimes to notice the colour, shape, smell, texture and flavour of foods

  • Nutrition – preparing meals from scratch reduces the consumption of processed foods and improves the nutritional quality of meals

PERSONAL, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  • Learning patience – taking time to plan and prepare meals before eating. Waiting for food to cook, waiting for others to finish before leaving the table

  • Understanding others – how to share, how to consider other people’s food preferences, how to contribute to preparing food and clearing up after a meal.

  • Environmental impact – learning about food storage, recycling and food waste

  • Emotional health – taking time to talk about the day and listen to each other

  • Mental health – reducing social isolation, working as part of a team and feeling part of something