In a recent Waitrose magazine, they published the results of a survey of people's eating habits. To me some of the results were quite worrying.
Since having children (and before) I have always insisted on two things, firstly we ALWAYS eat together around a table, and secondly that when the children were smaller they always had a bedtime story.
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In the article it claimed that 31% of Brits never sit at a chair around either a kitchen or dining table.
59% said they always, or often, eat in front of a 'screen'.
39% said their room of preference for eating was the living room, or home office.
Londoners, it seems, love to eat their breakfast in bed. Over half of those questioned said they did this up to four times a week.
And finally, the over 55's are twice as likely to eat at a dining table every day than 18–34-year-olds.
I am pleased to say that I eat three meals each day at a dining table. The table is correctly laid with the right glasses, pukka cloth serviettes, and decent cutlery. We don't watch TV; we converse. All meals are made from scratch.
Above, Kimbo (always at my right hand) was hot-foot back from Agadir, so we had lots to catch-up on. I offered a simple roast Sunday Lunch. Champagne (2), Montepulciano (2), and a bought M & S Tiramisu for dessert. Just as it should be.
I cannot imagine eating with a plate on my lap whilst watching Coronation Street. No, that's not for me!
The only thing we may eat in front of a screen are sweets. Everything else is eaten at the dining table (we don´t have a kitchen table, our house was built at the time when kitchens were made as small as possible). I cannot imagine having breakfast in bed or eating over a keyboard. Besides, the meals are the best way to ensure that even with busy schedules, the family comes together at least twice a day.
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly. Yes, I too am known to eat a wine gum or two in front of the TV.
DeleteYour plates are empty!
ReplyDeleteWe eat at the kitchen table when it is just the two of us but at the dining room table if we have guests. On Sunday evening there were 10 of us so it was a little bit of a squeeze!
I had only just delivered the serving dishes. Wine always comes first.
DeleteWe eat three meals a day at the kitchen table, apart from Christmas, when I lay the dining room table and we use that for a few days, partly because my kitchen table is full!
ReplyDeleteRadio 3 is on quietly in the background - no TV, although we did set the ipad on the table on the day of the Queen's funeral so we didn't miss anything.
Our kitchen is too small for a table so we always eat in the dining room.
DeleteAside from brunch together out at about 11, our daytime eating is irregular. Brunch might be a sandwich or a pie or anything that takes our fancy. At the dot of 7 R serves dinner at our dining table and we watch the ABC tv news. There are usually leftovers for the next day to be eaten at random. If I had children, they would have a very disciplined eating regime.
ReplyDeleteI had two leftover sausages with my breakfast this morning.
DeleteMy worst nightmare is breakfast in bed. I roasted a small chicken on Saturday and ate outside at the table in the garden because the weather was warm even at 5pm. We are having glorious sunny weather at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThe bit about Londoners eating breakfast in bed was probably the most surprising. I would never do that. Yes, lovely weather here too.
DeleteWe join you in dinner at the table, with the TV off, quality time daily.
ReplyDeleteGood for you.
DeleteI dislike breakfast in bed. Awkward and probably the bed will be full of crumbs. No, no no.
ReplyDeleteLunch everyday is at 1pm sharp and at the dining table.
I grew up to meals at the dining table
I did too. We also had a 'Breakfast Room' where we ate as children.
DeleteA Breakfast Room? How very posh, very English.
DeleteAll our meals are eaten at the dining table, that's how I was brought up!
ReplyDeleteOur kitchen is far too small for any sort of table, so the dining room is well used!
We were away last week, staying in a cottage with a wonderful view from the bedroom, so we did, one morning, sit up in bed, sipping tea/coffee, and gazing out of the windows, but even on that day, breakfast was eaten at the table. X
Our bijou kitchen is far too small for a table, and the dining room is adjacent so no choice really.
DeleteIf, as they say, the kitchen is the heart of the home, the table in the dining room is the brain. The conviviality of breaking bread with others, the exchange of views, chewing the fat of the land and its gods. What could be more civilized and enlightening? After I read your post this morning I let dinner tables, past and present, roll by my inner eye. If those tables could speak my memoirs would write themselves.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, when I am on my own I am a grazer (think "rabbit" - as in "raw"). So, in passing, I'll pop a cherry tomato here, a piece of cheese there, chew an apple at the comp. Pick at nuts and raisins when watching another Netflix concoction.
Cheers, Kimbo is welcome to fill my glass,
U
Even when by myself I cook a proper meal. In fact I let myself go a bit wild, and enjoy things that Lady M doesn't.
DeleteEating meals at the kitchen or dining room table is a constant at my home.
ReplyDeleteAs it should be!
DeleteHandsome son and father that does not look 90. The table is set out nice, like Sunday dinner.
ReplyDeleteDinning areas in order of most frequent use: A three tier rolling vegetable cart with a wood piece over part of the top basket tier; a towel over 3 pillows on the sofa; 1960s small patio table in front of wingback chair; and, a large 2 inch thick old pine dinning table. Dinning out is in my vehicle, usually in a rural setting with a sky view. I sometimes eat standing at the counter when making latkes.
I never eat in bed. Crumbs bug me.
I think I might join you on the veg' cart; it sounds delightful (outdoors I presume). But otherwise, I'll go to the Pub.
DeleteWhen we have company, we always eat at the table. When it is just Tim and me, we generally eat in the livingroom and watch the evening news. We have wooden tables to pull out from a space between the wall and a cabinet. We fold them up and put them away when we are done. Sorry to disappoint.
ReplyDeleteYes, a little disappointing. I shall be having a word with Tim!
DeleteI am with you. Mealtimes should be relished - especially if the meal has been made from scratch with love. All our evening meals are eaten at the dining table with no screens to watch and it is what my children knew as they grew up.
ReplyDeleteI knew you would do things correctly.
DeleteWe eat most meals at the kitchen table. The dining room table is used for celebrations. When we are all together we use multiple rooms because we all won't fit around one table but always at tables.
ReplyDeleteOur dining table is beautifully wide, but not long enough for more than 4 (comfortably). So with one at each end we can seat only 6. I refuse to sit touching my neighbour's elbows.
DeleteIn my whole childhood, we never had a dining room (much less a breakfast room), so meals were eaten at the kitchen table in the very large kitchen. Later I lived in homes that had a dining area off the living room, so my children were also raised to eat at the table and my grandchildren also. Now, my small kitchen table is in the living room, with my chair facing away from the TV, because it just doesn't fit any other way, so I eat there while listening to the news.
ReplyDelete