Tweeting, texting and watching T.V are being blamed for killing UK mealtimes. New research shows the number of families who sit around the table for an evening meal is rapidly dwindling. Almost one third of families (26%) never bother and a quarter of children regularly eat their evening meals alone in their bedroom - over one third (36%) eating most of their main meals on the sofa.

Out of those who do make the effort to dine together one in ten families admit to being done and dusted in 15 minutes, hardly a lengthy or engaging affair. Despite this the benefits of family meals have proven to be far reaching from aiding children’s confidence, interaction skills and health benefits, given that most meals of this kind will be home cooked. Research has even indicated strong links between a lack of family mealtimes and family longevity.

A new report called ‘The Italian Way’ has revealed Italian families are three times more likely to dine together everyday than Brits. This cultural comparison found that eating together at home is part and parcel of Italian family culture, where children eat with adults and are rarely given their food earlier –a strict ban on all technology is also enforced. So have we become a nation disengaged with traditional family values and how can we learn from our Italian counterparts?