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July 2008
When We Eat
Dear Friends,
I have written many times about the family dinner table. A recent study of the eating habits, or at least the location of those habits, provides farmers with some interesting insights into the lives of their customers – the folks we feed. And, since farmers eat too, the report probes into the lives of our families as well.
The study, conducted through the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), funded by the Economic Research Service and the National Cancer Institute, found that of those interviewed back in 2006, on average, men and women spent about 67 minutes of each day when eating was their primary activity. This would exclude other activities that are commonly in gear while eating – things like driving, reading, working, fixing a flat tire and scooping out the hog barn. For this study, the 67 minutes were spent generally at a table of some kind, when chowing down was the most important activity at the time. Peak eating time is pretty consistent, with meals generally taking place around 7 a.m., 12 noon and 6:30 p.m.
Another 15 minutes of each day is spent in secondary eating, or eating while doing something else, i.e. watching TV, doing bookwork or watching the kids’ softball game.
To my pleasant surprise, results, printed in the latest issue of Amber Waves, indicate that primary eating is still conducted in the home or yard 67 percent of the time. My guess is that gas prices will probably raise that number considerably. The workplace is second for eating, with restaurants and bars coming in third, at 11 percent of the time.
Secondary eating is conducted about 53 percent of the time at home, with 20 percent taking place at work and another 9 percent while driving, walking or biking. I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, so I have no idea how people ride a bike and eat. I’m guessing steak and mash potatoes are out of the question.
The top five activities, according to this report, that accompany secondary eating are relaxing (my personal favorite) about 20 percent of the time; working ranked another 20 percent; socializing or communicating while on the phone ranked third with 6 percent; preparing, presenting or cleaning up after eating food took five percent, with housework coming in at a distant fifth place at 4 percent of the time.
So, apparently there is hope for us. With so many meals back in 2006 still taking place in the home or backyard, it is heartening that the home family dinner table is still an important place to partake of food. General statistics would suggest that in 2007, this percentage dipped. But in most recent studies of consumer habits taken just in the past month or so, it is evident that people are staying home a lot more, not just to eat, but also to recreate.
Maybe the old pasture ball field or horse shoe pit might get a bit more of a workout this year, and maybe we will slow down a little, sit together around the dinner table more and take stock of that important resource that we have at home – our families.
Hope you have a good week.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
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