Families, do you eat every single meal together?
Replies
-
We eat dinner together as a family probably 95% of the time. Sometimes that means all the family who is around. So once a month when my son is on a campout its just DH and me. Occasionally DH has a late meeting and it's just me and our son. One son is off at college, so clearly he isn't eating with us now.
Breakfast and lunch we rarely all eat together. During the week between work and school, it's impossible. On the weekends, we Amy be in the kitchen at the same time, but like today, DH fixed his lunch first and he had finished eating by the time I had fixed my lunch. We still chatted during that time though. And I talk with our son in the morning while he eats breakfast. Meanwhile I'm making lunch for him and DH. I take meds in the morning that I have to wait an hour before eating, so I can't eat when our son does (and I'm unwilling to get up earlier to do so). When each of our kids was in middle school and had a later bus, I did eat breakfast with them.0 -
My husband and I have slightly different schedules and work quite some distance apart from each other. Therefore, we're on our own for breakfast and lunch. But we do eat dinner together.
When we travel and visit family, generally speaking we fend for ourselves when it comes to breakfast and lunch, but we'll get together for dinner.
As an aside, as a Canadian who moved to Australia in 2009, I have trouble with the Australian way of serving dinner.0 -
My husband and I have slightly different schedules and work quite some distance apart from each other. Therefore, we're on our own for breakfast and lunch. But we do eat dinner together.
When we travel and visit family, generally speaking we fend for ourselves when it comes to breakfast and lunch, but we'll get together for dinner.
As an aside, as a Canadian who moved to Australia in 2009, I have trouble with the Australian way of serving dinner.
Do tell, lol!0 -
I live next to a nice family, the Cleavers. They eat together every meal. But other than them, I don't think many families eat even dinner together every time, let alone every meal.0
-
My husband and I have slightly different schedules and work quite some distance apart from each other. Therefore, we're on our own for breakfast and lunch. But we do eat dinner together.
When we travel and visit family, generally speaking we fend for ourselves when it comes to breakfast and lunch, but we'll get together for dinner.
As an aside, as a Canadian who moved to Australia in 2009, I have trouble with the Australian way of serving dinner.
Do tell, lol!
In Canada, we set out bowls or plates of food on the table. So a plate of meat, a bowl of potatoes, a bowl of steamed veg, a bowl of salad, etc. and then we all sit down around the table with empty plates and serve ourselves. We can choose how much or how little of each item we want.
In Australia, whoever is cooking serves up the meals in the kitchen, and delivers full plates to the table. So I have no choice in the matter.
My husband does the cooking, and what was happening was that I would request a smaller portion, so for a few weeks, he would serve me smaller portions, and then gradually the portions would increase and increase until I could barely finish it all. But because of my Canadian upbringing, where you select items, you eat everything you select ... you eat everything on your plate. After all, you chose it. So I was forcing myself to eat the whole plateful of food I was being served. When it really got too much, I'd request smaller portions again, and that was the cycle we were in for several years.
When I started here at MFP, I put my foot down, got more involved, and started weighing my food so this whole portion thing hasn't got out of hand.
But when we visit friends and family. I still have to deal with being served up a great plate of food. I lean a bit toward a vegetarian diet ... in other words, I don't mind a little bit of meat, but I'd rather have the bulk of the food on my plate be veggies. In fact, I wouldn't even mind if it were all veggies. And unfortunately what often ends up happening is that I will be served some great slab of meat and a tiny bit of veggies.
0 -
My husband and I have slightly different schedules and work quite some distance apart from each other. Therefore, we're on our own for breakfast and lunch. But we do eat dinner together.
When we travel and visit family, generally speaking we fend for ourselves when it comes to breakfast and lunch, but we'll get together for dinner.
As an aside, as a Canadian who moved to Australia in 2009, I have trouble with the Australian way of serving dinner.
Do tell, lol!
In Canada, we set out bowls or plates of food on the table. So a plate of meat, a bowl of potatoes, a bowl of steamed veg, a bowl of salad, etc. and then we all sit down around the table with empty plates and serve ourselves. We can choose how much or how little of each item we want.
In Australia, whoever is cooking serves up the meals in the kitchen, and delivers full plates to the table. So I have no choice in the matter.
My husband does the cooking, and what was happening was that I would request a smaller portion, so for a few weeks, he would serve me smaller portions, and then gradually the portions would increase and increase until I could barely finish it all. But because of my Canadian upbringing, where you select items, you eat everything you select ... you eat everything on your plate. After all, you chose it. So I was forcing myself to eat the whole plateful of food I was being served. When it really got too much, I'd request smaller portions again, and that was the cycle we were in for several years.
When I started here at MFP, I put my foot down, got more involved, and started weighing my food so this whole portion thing hasn't got out of hand.
But when we visit friends and family. I still have to deal with being served up a great plate of food. I lean a bit toward a vegetarian diet ... in other words, I don't mind a little bit of meat, but I'd rather have the bulk of the food on my plate be veggies. In fact, I wouldn't even mind if it were all veggies. And unfortunately what often ends up happening is that I will be served some great slab of meat and a tiny bit of veggies.
Oh yeah that would pretty much suck.0 -
When my husband is home he makes/eats breakfast with the kids every morning. During the week lunches are at school/work. The days I'm home with the little ones, I feed them a quick lunch between errands/naps. For dinner, I cook a family dinner every evening and we eat it together. Sundays are the only days where it is kind of a free for all.
When my husband is gone, the kids get cold cereal since I don't eat breakfast and dinner is usually reheated leftovers or quick to prepare stuff i.e. mac and cheese, nuggets, etc. I usually eat by myself (something I've pre-made early in the week that's weighed and portioned out) after they've gone to bed.0 -
Well my "family" includes my boyfriend and I, 3 cats and 2-3 dogs depending on if we have a foster in the house
The boyfriend and I eat dinner together at the table every night. We're at work during lunch/breakfast on weekdays. On the weekend, we eat every meal together. If we had a human child, they would eat with us at the table.0 -
In the morning on work days, I don't have time to make and eat breakfast at home. I make my daughter a glass of chocolate milk and maybe a dry bowl of cereal if she wants it while I get ready. I eat breakfast at my desk at work. She has breakfast at daycare. Lunch is the same. I'll pick her up from daycare and if she wants to eat dinner with me, she will. But usually she doesn't and just nibbles on stuff when she is hungry. Weekends is about the same.0
-
Mornings is cereal for the kids before they're out the door for school. I don't eat in the morning and my husband usually picks something up on the road. Lunch time we're not together. Supper time depends on what night it is/what sports or activities are going on. We usually sit down at the table together 3-4 times a week.0
-
With split schedules, no. I end up eating dinner with my DD every night, and my DW will if she's home early enough.
I don't eat breakfast, but I make sure my DD gets it in cause she's still growing. My DW is out the door at 5:15am so she eats breakfast then.
Weekends, we do just about every meal together.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
0 -
Rarely. Husband is out the door before we're out of bed, then my daughter eats while I finish making sure we're ready to go. Most of the time she's putting on her shoes while I'm heating up and scarfing down my breakfast.
Lunch we are all apart (work, school).
Dinner my daughter usually eats super early because of activities. Sometimes my husband will eat at the same time, but I always sit with my daughter while she eats so we can talk about her day.
Weekends my husband and I don't usually eat until late in the day (3-4pm). My daughter eats breakfast and lunch, then usually has whatever we decide to make for dinner.0 -
We almost always eat dinner together (the only real exception is when I play Ultimate right after work). We typically eat lunch together on the weekends. I don't typically eat breakfast, so that rarely happens.
My kids almost always eat together for convenience. They are young, so we just make 3x whatever is for lunch and they all eat. If they were old enough to make their own then they possibly would eat breakfast/lunch whenever they wanted, dinner would still be a family meal.0 -
Ugh. Being an immigrant, I suddenly got an image in my mind where I feel like I know exactly how your Mom feels. Just watching my Mom eating lunch by herself at the dining table because everyone else in the house has either been grazing all day, or grabbed something quick and ate it while watching TV. Compare to visiting them at their home and everyone pauses for a half hour to eat the lovingly prepared lunch. Sits and smiles together, tells random stories and jokes and overall just makes everyone feel good. That was actually over a holiday period, though. Not sure how they really live when they're back to working 70 hour weeks (yes, the supposed retiree works more hours than all his kids)
OP, even if your kids aren't available, I suggest attempting a few lunches with just you and Mom (I'm assuming you're both available since she's there to nag you...lol)
Well when my mom is here we typically always have lunch together, but if I'm hungry and have a snack before lunch, or have an early lunch because I'm just starving but it's too early for lunch, there goes the nagging...
She's your visitor. You can wait to eat lunch with her for one week and forego a snack. Being a bit hungry for 7 days isn't going to kill you. My mom isn't able to visit me right now - I would give anything to have lunch with her. Be grateful you have the chance to sit and eat with her.0 -
my kids are not around as much now...college and work....but we used to have dinner together every night...miss it..0
-
Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »Ugh. Being an immigrant, I suddenly got an image in my mind where I feel like I know exactly how your Mom feels. Just watching my Mom eating lunch by herself at the dining table because everyone else in the house has either been grazing all day, or grabbed something quick and ate it while watching TV. Compare to visiting them at their home and everyone pauses for a half hour to eat the lovingly prepared lunch. Sits and smiles together, tells random stories and jokes and overall just makes everyone feel good. That was actually over a holiday period, though. Not sure how they really live when they're back to working 70 hour weeks (yes, the supposed retiree works more hours than all his kids)
OP, even if your kids aren't available, I suggest attempting a few lunches with just you and Mom (I'm assuming you're both available since she's there to nag you...lol)
Well when my mom is here we typically always have lunch together, but if I'm hungry and have a snack before lunch, or have an early lunch because I'm just starving but it's too early for lunch, there goes the nagging...
She's your visitor. You can wait to eat lunch with her for one week and forego a snack. Being a bit hungry for 7 days isn't going to kill you. My mom isn't able to visit me right now - I would give anything to have lunch with her. Be grateful you have the chance to sit and eat with her.
Ok I was expecting this kind of comment, but you don't know my history with my mom. We do NOT get along, and frankly, I don't want to.0 -
During the week the kids eat breakfast on their own. I usually eat breakfast at work. They eat lunch at school, but we eat dinner together. On the weekend we eat every meal together.0
-
During the week we do not eat breakfast or lunch together because the kids usually eat something on the way to school, I eat something once I'm at work and checking emails. We are all at work or school for lunch so obviously we aren't eating together. We eat dinner together about 95% of the time. The exception to that is when hubby and I have a date night. Even if one of us has to work late, the other will at least sit with the kiddos at the table while they eat.
During the weekend we have our meals together for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My kids are only 5 and 6 so they aren't really making their own lunches at this point. Eating breakfast and lunch together on the weekends might change once they get older, but for now they still rely on me.0 -
When I had children at home we ate breakfast and dinner together but they were at school and we parents at work for lunch so we did not eat that meal together except on weekends.
Now it's just me and the husband. Neither of us eat breakfast and he doesn't eat lunch. We eat dinner together daily.0 -
Ok so this confirms that her opinions about 'the American way' are just completely inaccurate, and just because it's more convenient for us not to always have lunch together, it doesn't mean that everyone else doesn't.
Thanks for all the replies.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.7K Getting Started
- 260.1K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.8K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 415 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.9K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.6K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.5K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions