Health Matters

Eating Alone?
What’s for dinner? Are you dining in or grabbing a
bite on the go? In a busy household, it’s difficult to
find time to sit down together for a daily meal. In this
lesson, you will read and discuss six reasons why
dining together is better than eating alone.

“All great change in America

begins at the dinner table.”
—Ronald Reagan

Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

1.  o you tend to eat meals alone

D
or in the company of others?

2. What was mealtime like for you as a child?

3. W
 hy is mealtime with family important
for all members of a family?

B. On the Go

Place a  in the box beside any statement that is true.

Compare your answers to a partner’s answers.

 I tend to eat out more often than I eat at home.

 I tend to eat most meals in front of the TV.

 I have at least one meal per day with family or friends.

 I tend to use my mobile device when I’m eating a meal.

 I like home-cooked food better than fast food.

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 Eating Alone?
Health Matters

Pre-Reading cont.
C. Vocabulary Preview

Match up as many words and meanings as you can. Check this exercise
again after seeing the words in context in the reading on page 3.

1. coincide a) having a very specific taste or liking

2. picky b) to do or consume less

3. portion c) physical discomfort due to food intake

4. cut down on d) something that takes one’s focus away

5. indigestion e) having good value for the cost

6. distraction f) behavior or beliefs considered good or right

7. interaction g) to say how one feels

8. morals h) a single serving or amount

9. voice one’s opinion i) communication and/or involvement with others

10. economical j) to occur at the same time

Eating alone?
In advertisements, -ing verbs are often used at the
beginning of a question without a subject or a Be
verb. This shortened form is common in informal
spoken or written English.

• Buying a car?
(Are you buying a car?)

• Thinking about moving?

(Are you thinking about moving?)

• Flying solo?
(Are you going alone?)

Can you think of some other

catchy questions like this?

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Reading
6 Reasons Why Dining Together Is Better than Eating Alone
1. You tend to eat more nutritious food.
Dining together often coincides with dining at
home. At home, parents can offer kids nutritious
meals. Picky eaters tend to try food that their
brothers or sisters are eating. Dining alone, on the
other hand, tends to involve fast-food restaurants.
Fast food tends to be high in fat, salt, and sugar.
2. You tend to think about portion sizes.
Dining alone causes people to overeat. In contrast,
home-cooked meals allow for portion control.
The host or parent who serves the food shares it
out evenly and mindfully. This cuts down on food
waste and obesity.
3. You tend to eat more slowly.
Eating too quickly can cause indigestion.
People who eat alone tend to eat more quickly
because they have no distractions. When you’re
in a conversation, you naturally eat more slowly.
When you eat more slowly, your food has a chance
to digest. Likewise, you don’t tend to eat as much
when you eat slowly.
Grammar Tip
The verb tend is used to describe something
that often happens, such as a habit.
tend + to + base verb
• She tends to bite her nails when she’s nervous.
• He tends to call at dinnertime.
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Eating Alone?
Health Matters
4. You can reconnect with others.
Sitting down to a meal with friends or family
members gives you time to reconnect. Family
mealtime may be the only time of the day when
the whole family is together. The dinner table is a
good place to share highs and lows from the day.
People tend to feel better about themselves after
social interaction.
5. You can learn or teach something new.
A dinner table tends to be a bit like a classroom.
Friends or family members can teach each other
interesting things at mealtime. Parents tend to use
this time to teach morals and manners. Children
get a chance to voice their opinions too.
6. You can save money.
Eating at home with a group of people is more
economical than eating out or eating alone. You
tend to save money at the grocery store if you buy
enough for a group of people rather than buying
single portions. When you save money, you tend
to feel happier about your life.
Note:
In English, tend / tend to + noun means to
look after or give something one’s attention.
• I need to tend (tend to) my garden.
• He is tending (tending to) his sick father.
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 Eating Alone?
Health Matters

Speaking Practice
A. Portions

Do you have a big appetite, or do you eat like a bird?

Practice these dialogues so that you can express your
portion needs properly when you’re a guest at a dinner table.

1. Too Much / Too Many 2. Enough 3. The Perfect Amount

The intensifier too has a negative
meaning. It means “in excess.”
“a sufficient amount.”
A: Is this good?
B: No, that’s too much.
A: Is this too many grapes?
B: Yes. She won’t eat that many.
A: Is this too much pasta?
B: Yes. I can’t eat all that.
A: Did I give you too much?
B: Yes. I’m afraid I’m full.
The word enough has a Sometimes you are served just the
positive meaning. It means right amount of food. Here are a
few informal ways to express your
satisfaction.
A: Did you get enough?
B: No, I’m still a little bit hungry. A: Do you want some more?
B: No, this is plenty, thank you.
A: Are you full?
B: I’ve probably had enough, but I’d A: Can I get you some more coffee?
like a bit more. Is there any left? B: No, I’m good, thanks.
A: How are you doing for bread? A: Are you still hungry?
B: I ’ll take another slice if there B: No, I’m stuffed, thanks.
is enough for everyone.
A: Should I add more sugar?
A: You aren’t full, are you? B: No, this is perfect.
B: Yes, I’ve had enough.

B. Practice

Work with a partner. Correct the following dialogues.

Then practice them out loud. Do your new dialogues make sense?

1. A: Did you get enough? 4. A: Can I get you some more turkey?
B: No, I’m full. B: Yes, that’s perfect.

2. A: There’s more. Would you like some? 5. A: Would you like some more pizza?
B: Yes, please. This is plenty. B: Actually, I’ve had enough. Is there any more?

3. A: Is this too much pasta? 6. A: Is this too much?

B: Yes, that’s enough. B: Thanks. I’ll help myself to seconds.

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 Eating Alone?
Health Matters

Vocabulary Review
A. Vocabulary in Context

Review the vocabulary words in the reading on page 3. Write an example

to demonstrate your understanding of each word. Include some context
to make sure your reader understands the word too. Share your examples
with a partner.

# Vocabulary Example

My birthday always coincides with spring break.

Ex coincide
I never have to go to school on my birthday!

1 picky

2 portion

3 cut down on

4 indigestion

5 distraction

6 interaction

7 moral

8 voice an opinion

9 economical

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 Eating Alone?
Health Matters

Vocabulary Review cont.

B. Role-Play

AT THE TABLE

Work together in small groups. Create a dialogue between parents and

children at the dinner table. The children share events from their day, and
the parents teach some valuable morals. Use your notebook if you need
more room to write your dialogue.

Writing
A. Brainstorm

Can you think of any other reasons why dining

alone all of the time is NOT a healthy habit?

Ex. People tend to work while they eat.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

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 Eating Alone?
Health Matters

Writing cont.
B. 5 Reasons NOT to Eat Alone

Now, write your own list of tips from your ideas in Part A. Write at least
one sentence after each tip. Use the verb tend at least three times.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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 Eating Alone?
Health Matters

Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Int – Adv

In this lesson, students learn six reasons why dining together is TIME: 1.5–2 hours
better than eating alone. Students practice related vocabulary
TAGS: discussion, stress, health, intensifiers, food,
and create their own list of reasons why it’s not good to dine
dining, too, enough, portions, dialogue, lists
alone all of the time.

Pre-Reading Speaking Practice

A. WARM-UP QUESTIONS A. PORTIONS

Discuss the quote and questions as a class or in small groups. Review practical expressions that students can use at a
restaurant or dinner table. For teaching tips on intensifiers,
B. ON THE GO see our editor’s blog posts:

Place students into pairs to discuss their checked boxes. • http://blog.esllibrary.com/2014/02/27/so-such-too/

• http://blog.esllibrary.com/2014/03/20/too-enough/
C. VOCABULARY PREVIEW
B. PR ACTICE
1. j 3. h 5. c 7. i 9. g
2. a 4. b 6. d 8. f 10. e Have students practice making corrections. Answers may vary.

1. A: Did you get enough?

Reading B: Yes, I’m full.
2. A: There’s more. Would you like some?
Have students read the article out loud or to themselves.
B: No, thanks. This is plenty.
Review any difficult vocabulary.
3. A: Is this too much pasta?
B: No, that’s perfect. / Yes, that’s a little too much.
Grammar Tip 4. A: Can I get you some more turkey?
B: Yes, I’d love some more if there is enough for everyone.
Review the two meanings and the usage of the verb tend. 5. A: Would you like some more pizza?
B: No, thank you. I’ve had enough.
6. A: There’s more if you want some.
B: Thanks. I’ll help myself to seconds.

(continued on the next page...)

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 Eating Alone?
Health Matters

Answer Key cont.

Vocabulary Review

A. VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT

Help your students understand the meaning of “in context.”

Encourage your students to write two sentences per word to
demonstrate that they understand the meaning. Answers will vary.

B. ROLE-PLAY

Place students into small groups for this activity. Invite your
students to perform their skits. You can decide whether or not
you want to see a written dialogue. Encourage your students
to use some of the vocabulary from the reading.

Writing

A. BR AINSTORM

Brainstorm as a class or in small groups.

B. 5 REASONS NOT TO EAT ALONE

You may choose to assign this for homework, or have students

complete the writing assignment in class (individually or in pairs).

SPELLING NOTE:

This lesson shows the American spelling of the words Behavior

and Practice. Other English-speaking countries spell these words
this way: Behaviour and Practise (when used as a verb; Practice
when used as a noun). Make it a challenge for your students
to find these words in the lesson and see if they know the
alternate spellings.

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