There's Been A Big, Secular Trend Of People Eating More Meals At Home

[FarCenter]

An interesting chart from a recent Smuckers investor presentation.

Since 2000, basically, there's been a steady uptrend in people cooking and eating meals at home, sharply reversing the trend from the previous decade.

It doesn't seem like business cycles explain in that well.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/theres-been-a-big-secular-trend-of-people-eating-more-meals-at-home-2012-2

They don't say that we are eating fewer meals out. Judging from waistlines, we may not be!

[undeterred]

1. Fast food is crap.

Restaurant food is expensive and they give you too much food, too much meat.

You want to eat frugal and healthy, cook for yourself at home.

Just my opinion.

[BigDemVoter]

4. Yeah, restaurant portions are often 2-3 x TOO MUCH!!

Couple that with an upbringing that stresses cleaning one's plate, and we've got a disaster on our hands.

[pansypoo53219]

8. IF i go out, i get at least 2-4 more meals.

serve less + charge less.

[kurt_cagle]

9. Split meals

My family and I do go out to a local Thai place maybe twice a month and spend a fair amount there. However, typically that will end up being 2-3 meals that we'll have over the course of the week (and given that I'm not terribly good at cooking decent Thai food, it tends to spice up a fairly humdrum dinner set otherwise). Other than that we've cut way back on eating out, especially fast food places.

[NMDemDist2]

2. and if you need some inspiration, tips or help getting into this trend...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1157

[TheOther95Percent]

3. Fast Food Fatigue

Having worked in fast food, you couldn't pay me to eat at one now. We cook mostly at home and, when we do go out, we favor local establishments over chains.

[The Genealogist]

12. Something similar happened to me, but working in a motel

I worked one summer at a motel. We served complimentary "continental breakfast" (doughnuts/pastry and coffee). After smelling the smell of doughnuts all day, sticky sweet and exactly the same every day, and watching the daily parade of guests filing through and often eating them in a piggish and sloppy manner*, it was quite some time before I wanted to see another doughnut, much less EAT one.

* not all guests ate that way. I'm not trying to broad-brush here, it was just that there were several guests per day who ate the doughnuts and pastries in a way I found disgusting.

[sufrommich]

5. The newer cable food networks probably

have a lot to do with this trend. People think cooking is fun again.

[JI7]

6. it could be things like the food network

[Historic NY]

7. Its cheaper and you can makes extra for another day.

[Arugula Latte]

10. We like to eat lighter foods, lean protein, lots of vegetables, relatively small portions

That way of eating doesn't fit in with a lot of restaurant food. When we do go out, it's to a non-chain restaurant, someplace special that makes food that would be difficult for us to recreate at home. And yes we drop some $, but that's maybe once a month, with the addition of one or two take-outs from Thai food or the like.

[Brickbat]

11. It's cheaper and with more people out of work, more people are at home and able to cook.

[The Genealogist]

13. Could it be that cooking at home is also more trendy?

It is generally cheaper, depending on what you cook. It is often better for you to eat at home. But it seems that the number of cooking shows on all sorts of networks has mushroomed (haha) since 2000. It seems more people might be interested in the art of cooking at home.

[customerserviceguy]

14. Let's hope so

When a person goes to the trouble to prepare a real meal for the household, they often want the members partaking of that meal to sit down together and enjoy it communally. That's way better than dishing something out of a takeout container to sit in front of the TV.

Mealtime is a special social pleasure that many folks need to be reintroduced to.

[The Genealogist]

18. Too often, for me anyway, mealtime has long been a rushed thing

This started, I think, before I started school. My mother always ate fast, not because of hunger so much as she was forced to eat quickly on the job (she was mostly a stay-at-home mom in my day, but she was 38 when I was born and had a good 20 years of work under her belt). Going to school, where meals must be eaten quickly, cemented it for me. I tend to wolf down my meals to this day. I wish I had meals that were, to use your great term, "a special social pleasure."

[customerserviceguy]

20. My ex and I

had exchange students, and they were able to contrast their experience with the other exchange students at the local high school who had quickie meals in front of the TV set. Our dinners lasted for about two hours, and when we asked the question, "What did you learn in school today?" it launched into an entire discussion! Truly, that was a treasured part of my life.

[Bonhomme Richard]

15. My wife spoils me. I can't remember the last time I got a better meal out.....

than I can get at home.
Seem I am constantly disappointed eating out at restaurants.

[Snake Alchemist]

16. I know several married couples who eat out EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.

I don't know how they do it. One guy told me that they just didn't like to cook and clean up afterwards.

Luckily, I love to cook.

[mrmpa]

17. My 81 year old mother lives with me....

she still loves to cook. Now who am I to take that pleasure away from her. Tomorrow a friend is coming for dinner, we are having baked cod, rice pilaf, brocolli and home made brownies for desert. I'll say it again, who am I to take that pleasure from her.

[lapislzi]

19. Our rule:

Unless there is NO FOOD in the house with which you can prepare a meal, meals are to be eaten at home. That rarely occurs. Usually I cook for the week. If we run out of eggs and I don't feel like puttering for half an hour with (proper) porridge, we'll treat ourselves to breakfast.

There are also websites that my husband likes to play with where you plug in the ingredients you have handy, and they'll give you a recipe. We get some interesting results!

The other exception is if we are far (1 hour +) from home and starving.