Annual Survey 2017: Your Family Dinners

As 2017 drew to a close, The Family Dinner Project distributed an annual survey to our users, asking about the state of your family dinners. The results will be used to assist us in improving our current offerings and developing new ideas and programs so that even more families can experience more frequent and meaningful meals together.

A quick snapshot of the results revealed the following points of interest:

• The majority of survey respondents originally connected to The Family Dinner Project through social media or other online sources.
• Our Dinner Tonight program and monthly newsletter continue to be popular, with nearly 59% of respondents saying that they regularly use Dinner Tonight, and 47% identifying as newsletter subscribers. 29% of participants in the survey have enrolled in our 4-Week Program.
• 82% of survey respondents felt that their family dinners had improved since connecting with The Family Dinner Project. The top ways in which The Family Dinner Project has improved mealtimes were reported as:
  • Family Meals have become more fun (57.14%)
  • We spend more time at meals together as a family (42.86%)
  • We eat more meals together as a family (35.71%)
  • We eat more fruits and vegetables at meals (35.71%)
  • We talk more during family meals (35.71%)
  • Our conversations have become more enjoyable during family meals (35.71%)
  • Preparing meals has become more enjoyable (28.57%)
  • Preparing meals has become easier (28.57%)
• Families responding to the survey averaged 6 dinners together per week, 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 3 snacks. Yet the respondents were almost evenly split between feeling that the number of family meals they share is “just right” (53%), and wishing they could eat more meals together (47%).
• The majority of family meals (47%) last 20-40 minutes; 41% last 10-20 minutes; and 12% last 40-60 minutes.
• The most popular responses to “Choose the top 3 things you would like your family to work on” were 1) Meal planning in advance; 2) Having fun preparing food together; and 3) Eating nutritious foods. A close runner-up was reducing distractions such as cell phone use and TV during dinnertime.
• 94% of respondents would definitely or possibly recommend The Family Dinner Project to a friend.

Thank you to those who participated in the survey! We look forward to hearing more from families throughout the year. If you have questions or suggestions for The Family Dinner Project, please contact us.