Is dinner still a sacred time?

According to new research, more than two thirds of people eat dinner on the couch in front of the TV each week, with 1 in 5 (23%) doing this five times a week!

SuperValu’s new Dinner Time Well Spent campaign is a comprehensive study on the current state of dinnertime rituals in Irish households.

The findings reveal both the enduring significance of family mealtimes, and the increasing challenges posed by modern lifestyles.

However, 80% of people in Ireland still believe that dinnertime is an important ritual that brings their family closer together and is a habit that we can’t afford to lose.

8 in 10 also expressed a desire to share more meals together, recognising the importance of this time spent with family members. Additionally, 92% of households with children over 5 years old want to have dinner together more often yet 1 in 5 are only doing it twice a week.

While it appears that although the desire to sit down and eat together is strong, technology, busy schedules and the effort of making the meal, means Ireland is on a downward spiral when it comes to breaking bread together.

Distractions at mealtime are another major concern, with over half (55%) of those surveyed acknowledging that they experience some form of disruption during dinner. The most common barrier, cited by 23%, is the difficulty of getting everyone together at the same time.

Furthermore, a staggering 60% of households let family members use a device during meals as phones and TV perceived most permissible. In addition, 30% of households allow laptops at the table, indicating that work and other obligations are increasingly encroaching.

Interestingly, Monday (31%) is the day most likely for us to share a meal together outside of Sunday (33%). However, Tuesday (3%), Wednesday (3%) and Thursday (4%) are the least likely days, potentially indicating that, amongst other possibilities, the hybrid working model (most popular days in the office) could be having an impact on mealtimes.

While there is a clear recognition of the benefits of shared meals, the research also reveals that for many, preparing dinner has become a source of stress, with 31% of adults viewing it as a chore. Nearly half (49%) of respondents expressed a desire to cook from scratch more often but cited a lack of time or energy as the main reasons for not doing so — an issue particularly prevalent among younger adults aged 18-35, where the figure rises to 59%.

Shane Lynch, SuperValu Marketing Manager said: “At SuperValu, we understand the importance of dinnertime as a moment for families to reconnect. Our research shows that while the desire to preserve this tradition is strong, there are significant barriers that need to be addressed.

“We are committed to helping families across Ireland reclaim dinnertime, making it easier for them to come together, enjoy a meal, and strengthen their relationships. Our Dinner Time Well Spent campaign is a call to families to prioritise the dinnertime tradition.”

To support the spread of awareness on the ground across Ireland and to really drive this movement to reclaim dinnertime, SuperValu is leaning into the universal, cross-cultural ritual: lighting a candle on the dinner table.”

To get people started, SuperValu is gifting a number of candles – for more, check out https://supervalu.ie/about/news/2024/09/10/the-table-or-the-tablet.