Mealtimes made special by lockdown

We recently conducted a survey of over 1000 people, to investigate the ways in which lockdown has changed family eating habits. It’s clear that our mealtimes may have changed forever during the lockdown period, and hopefully for all the right reasons.

Despite so many hardships being faced by people during the pandemic, there are some legacies that will hopefully be left around eating habits and mealtimes…

Over 50% of people said they have eaten together more than ever before, largely due to the increase in home working and having less children’s activities after school. A quarter of people said that they have enjoyed mealtimes, where allowed, with siblings and elderly parents which has been an unexpected joy for many.

Large numbers reported that due to the new shared mealtimes many new dining decisions have been made. 68% of people have designated the dinner table a phone free zone.

49% of people said that the clean plates are now a must and over 70% said that cooking has become a shared pastime with the responsibility no longer falling to one family member.

A third of us have tried something new over recent months with people choosing to eat more vegetables, trying their hand at home-baked loaves, and tucking into new table selections as online shopping has increased and many substitutes have been delivered!

Things that people noticed were slightly harder to get hold of included yeast and flour. And 32% reported that they had tried goats’ milk, cheese and butter.

What do you think? Have you noticed positive changes in your mealtimes and eating habits?