Photos show how different family meal time looks in busy homes across America

Lois Bielefeld

Studies have repeatedly shown the benefits of having a set family meal time every day. Research has shown that the benefits are especially pronounced in children, who often show higher achievement scores and are generally more physically fit when they reguarly eat a daily meal with their families.

But what family meal time looks like in each individual household can vary greatly, which is something photographer Lois Bielefeld wanted to explore in her series "Weeknight Dinners."

Bielefeld, who's represented by Portrait Society Gallery, visited 78 households to see how families are sitting down for dinner every night. Focusing on weeknights, when people usually have less free time, she found that there were some major differences in how famillies spent the meal together.

As a child, Bielefeld was highly involved in her family meals. "I've always loved food," she told Business Insider. "One of my chores growing up was to make a weekend meal for the family. I could make whatever I wanted, but I needed to follow a recipe."

For "Weeknight Dinners," Bielefeld wanted to explore people's habits and nightly rituals.

"I love to see the similarities and differences in people with a topic that has commonality — we all eat," she said.