For many Americans, the mention of “family dinner” evokes fond memories of decades past, when parents and kids — and oftentimes extended family members and friends — would huddle around the dinner table nightly.
Unfortunately the next generation of Americans may not remember family dinner time quite as fondly because, well, it just doesn’t really happen as often as it used to.
A Gallup survey reveals that “having dinner together in the evening is difficult for today’s families.”
“Slightly more than a quarter (28%) of adults with children under the age of 18 report that their families eat dinner together at home seven nights a week — down from 37% in 1997,” Gallup found. “Almost half (47%) of parents say their families eat together between four and six times a week. Another quarter (24%) say they eat together three or fewer nights a week.”
This is unfortunate, and not just because of the lost opportunity to make memories. A Columbia University study suggests “family dinners can have some concrete benefits for teenagers.”
As Gallup explains, “the study found that teens who have dinner with their families two nights a week or less are twice as likely to take drugs, more likely to be ‘high stress,’ more likely to say they are often bored, and less likely to perform well in school than teens who eat with their families 5 to 7 times a week.”
With all of this in mind, an Alabama company is on a mission to get families back around the dinner table together each night, and they’re doing it by addressing the most common reason families aren’t eating together as much: time.
Nourish Foods, based in Birmingham, Alabama, has found a way to completely eliminate the time it takes to plan for, shop for, and prepare family meals.
Here’s how it works:
Nourish customers all over the country log in to NourishMeals.com, choose the meals they’d like — or a subscription plan — and delicious meals start showing up at their door. Then, when it’s meal time, all they have to do is open the refrigerator, grab the meals, and pop them in the microwave or oven. And just like that the whole family is around the table eating fully-cooked, hand-crafted, healthy meals that look like this:
Courtney Estes and her husband, Jeremy, have seen the amount of quality time they’re able to spend with their family explode after discovering Nourish.
“Working full time, being a mom of a busy 16-month-old and having a husband that often travels for work, we have juggled time, healthy meal choices and just quality family time,” said Courtney. “The last thing I want to do is spend my night in the kitchen after getting home. Nourish has been a game-changer for us. We absolutely love everything that Nourish has to offer. Each meal is completely prepped with fresh, wholesome ingredients, and even delivered right to our door! All I have to do is pop in the oven, no prep and no mess!”
Mary Beyer Lell and her husband, Paul, also found that “attempting to cook a home-cooked, healthy meal became a struggle” for their family because of work and their kids’ after-school activities.
“Most can relate to the feeling when you get home, stare at your groceries and think ‘not tonight.’” Mary laughed. “This resulted in large amounts of expensive groceries ending up in the trash at the end of a week. Nourish has been the answer for our family to have home-cooked, healthy and convenient meals. It has enabled us to spend time as a family, it has decreased stress for me and my husband, and the food is delicious! You tend to get into a rut with your go-to dinner meals; Nourish provides meals that I do not cook and the constant change in the menu definitely makes dinner much more enjoyable.”
For Shannon Holt and her husband, Ted, Nourish made it possible for them to improve their diet while still eating food they really enjoy.
“About a year or so ago, I made a commitment to try to eat cleaner — for my family and for myself,” Shannon said. “I was sick of feeling tired and bloated all the time, no matter how much I exercised. Nourish has helped me accomplish my goal and made it much easier to do so for a busy working mom of four. The food is absolutely delicious (even to the pickiest eaters!) and the variety keeps everyone happy. I especially like the portion size and the ease of ordering.”
Shannon now uses Nourish in multiple ways.
“Number one, for my own personal meals; number two, for family dinners; and, third, for catering large parties at my home,” she explained. “I love having meals in the fridge that I can grab or take with me to work for lunch. I know whatever I eat from Nourish will taste amazing, be great for me, give me the energy I need to get through the hectic afternoon, and even improve my mood! Then, on those nights where I don’t have time to cook dinner for the family, everyone can choose what they want and I don’t have to worry about the quality of the food or clean any dishes!
“Last spring, Nourish catered a large dinner my husband and I hosted at our house,” Shannon continued. “Of course the food was amazing, but the service was what made the dinner stand out. The Nourish team attended to every detail and allowed me to actually enjoy my own party! They made sure every guest was taken care of and even left my kitchen cleaner than they found it.”
For more information on how Nourish can get your family back around the table together, visit NourishMeals.com.
