Most Americans sit together for dinner, which more often than not is made from scratch, poll finds

Among those who live with others, 87% of Americans sit down to family dinner at least once a week and roughly a third do so four to six nights a week or every night, according to the survey of 2,236 US adults conducted March 16-21. Household income and marital status are influential factors in who prioritizes eating together. People who make $75,000 or more per year are most likely to sit down together once a week, while those who are married are more likely than those who are not to sit down every night (34% versus 21%), according to the survey. The most often cited reason by 29% of respondents for not eating dinner together more frequently is difficulty coordinating schedules. This is more often the case for unmarried Americans (36%) compared to those who are wedded (24%). That said, 42% of people surveyed say they are perfectly content with the frequency with which they sit down to dinner together. Finding the time to cook For more than three-quarters of Americans, eating dinner together involves cooking from scratch, according to the poll. Given that this is more time consuming than picking up restaurant carryout or pre-prepared items at the grocery store on the way home, which 23% and 22% of respondent say they do, many families rely on teamwork to get dinner on the table. Specifically, the poll found, 65% of American say getting dinner on the table is a family affair. This skews slightly higher for families with children under the age of 18 (71%) than those without (61%). Despite an overwhelming preference for cooking from scratch, many Americans still regularly use time-saving strategies to pull together dinner after a long day. About 37% said they use cooking shortcuts, such as pre-cut veggies and pre-marinated meat, while, 67% say they use pre-prepped and/or frozen ingredients and 63% say they augment a homemade main dish with a pre-prepared side dish. Often touted as time-savers, home delivered meal kits are only used by a small fraction of Americans who eat dinner together, according to the poll. Just 7% of Americans use services such as Blue Apron or Plated to help put dinner on the table. Those who do use these services tend to be younger, with 14% of 18- to 34-year-olds using them compared to 10% of 35- to 44-year-olds and only 5% of 45- to 54-year-olds, according to the poll. These consumers also often are more like to be male (9%) than female (5%). They also are more likely to make at least $75,000 annually per household, have at least a college degree and have young children, the survey found. Evolving menus What people are eating for dinner is evolving, the survey results suggest. It found 79% of respondents have changed what they prepare for dinner in the last couple of years to make meals healthier. While this is true across the board, more people who make $75-$99,000 a year agree (85%) , as do those who have a college degree or higher (83%) versus only 76% of people who each make less than $50,000 a year or who have a high school diploma or less. It also is more often the case for married Americans (82%) versus those who are single (75%), the survey found. Despite an increased interested in healthier eating, the vast majority of respondents (86%) say that family eating together is more important than where the food comes from, according to the poll.

Most Americans sit together for dinner, which more often than not is made from scratch, poll finds

Despite the intense focus in recent year on providing on-the-go food for time-crunched consumers, the vast majority of Americans still sit down together for dinner at least once a week, if not more often, according to a recent Harris Poll.

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