Recent research has found that 4 in 10 parents report having only three or fewer family dinners per week, leaving 42% feeling “fearful.”
That’s based on a latest poll of two,000 US parents, which revealed 56% consider that having a shared meal together is the most effective ways to bond with their family, with 54% reporting not getting enough quality time together.
Nonetheless, when families do sit down for at-home dinners, meals are filled with laughter (20%) and good conversation (34%).
Commissioned by The Little Potato Company and conducted by OnePoll in February, the study found many parents said it could be easier to have more home-cooked family dinners in the event that they meal-planned ahead for the week (20%); had quicker, healthier meals to organize (18%); and if everyone’s schedules coincided (18%).
Parents said that the necessary aspects of a home-cooked dinner are: Having a meal using a passed down or favorite family recipe (47%); having good conversations on the table (38%); and having all relations within the household present (34%).
Parents also shared what they need their kids to recollect about family dinners — with the ability to share family time and connection (52%); knowing the importance of spending time with family (41%); the home-cooked meals themselves (40%); and wanting to learn the best way to cook (35%).
The responses differed by generation — millennial and Gen X parents want their kids to know the importance of spending time with family (43% and 34%, respectively), while 43% of Gen Z parents want their kids to have a love of food.
To encourage conversation with their kids, 47% of fogeys said they’ve a practice on the dinner table, including 26% who wish to share what they’re grateful for and 17% who use a game or discussion starter to facilitate conversation during family dinners.
Parents reported spending more time within the kitchen, taking a mean of nearly 45 minutes preparing a full meal at home, but only spending a mean of about 36 minutes eating along with family.
“With after-school activities and busy schedules, making family dinners occur at home frequently isn’t easy,” Angela Santiago, CEO and co-founder of The Little Potato Company, said in an announcement.
“That’s why having options of nutritious whole foods which are pre-washed and quick to make — like The Little Potato Co.’s little potatoes — are necessary so families can spend less time within the kitchen and more time creating memories.”
Sometimes kids need just a little encouragement to try different foods — 61% incentivize their kids to eat certain foods on their dinner plates with later bedtimes (45%), more screen time after dinner (43%), dessert (42%), a favourite hobby (41%), a second helping of a food they do like (38%) and even money (27%).
Some 73% said eating meals together are more enjoyable in the event that they’re also made together, and 18% want their kids to see meal time as a fun a part of the day.
Nearly three in five (59%) let their kids cook with them within the kitchen, as long as they’re not less than 12 years old.
“Sharing a home-cooked meal along with your family helps nurture a love for food and provides a possibility for invaluable quality family time and conversation,” continued Santiago, a mother of 4 herself.
“That’s why we’re captivated with making it easier for families to spend more time together across the table and be ok with eating whole foods, full of nutrients.”
7 IMPORTANT FACTORS FOR FAMILY DINNERS
- A meal using a passed down or favorite family recipe — 47%
- Good conversation — 38%
- All relations within the household present — 34%
- Everyone can agree on what to eat — 29%
- Everyone can eat without complaining — 28%
- Everyone asks for seconds — 21%
- It is stuffed with laughter — 20%