It's the holidays! And one good thing that comes with the holidays is the fact that the family is all under one roof. That means more time to spend with one another, catch up, and just relax with loved ones. And since everyone is together during this season, it's the perfect opportunity to have a family meal.

Having a meal wherein everybody in the family is present is often looked at as thing of the past when there wasn't too much hustle and bustle. That is why only a few families do it nowadays. But who knew that a lot of benefits come from gathering around the table regularly for a meal?

According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, teenagers and children who regularly have family dinners have a 70% lower risk for substance abuse, and that they are half as likely to try cigarettes or become smokers, try marijuana.

Not only that, because of family meals, the youth is one-third less likely to try alcohol, and half as likely to get drunk on a monthly basis. Plus, teenagers and children get better grades in school.

And if those benefits weren't enough, the worth of having a meal together is further pushed by other pushed by other studies and researchers done on the matter. According to experts, having a meal together encourages a healthier diet and that it reduces the odds of developing an eating disorder in teenage girls.

And surprisingly, it also reduces promiscuity among teens because instead of time being spent with their girlfriends or boyfriends, they spend time with their families.

But for those families who are not that familiar at having a meal together, what are the things to remember to come out from it with all smiles?

Experts suggest that meals together should be treated differently, more special: turn off the TV and the cellphones, and take the phone off the hook.

And when it comes to having conversations, it is important to keep it light and to focus only on positive things - a meal together shouldn't be about starting an argument or criticizing one another.

With all of these things in mind, family meals could be a part of a regular routine in your home, and maybe, part of your New Year's resolution.