Which is precisely what she and Brody do before they dig into dinner every night in their Los Angeles-area home.
As scions of teen drama royalty, thanks to The O.C. and Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz‘s deft matchmaking skills, Meester’s kids are unlikely to experience the same hardships she faced.
“We live in such a bubble,” admitted Meester, noting she wants 8-year-old daughter Arlo, in particular, to understand her privilege. “And we obviously are really happy and grateful to give her everything that we never had growing up. But we also want her to understand that not everyone grows up like that.”
So while the actress is eager for Arlo to tag along to an upcoming volunteer opportunity with Feeding America, the hunger relief nonprofit she’s worked with for more than six years, “I think it’s just all about setting an example,” Meester explained. “When we sit around the table, we always talk about what we’re grateful for and what the best part of our day was and just give thanks to our food.”