2. Dream Dinners Reviews: The Impacts of
Eating Out
How often do you get your loved ones together to share a family dinner?
Our families play a critical role in building up social ties and creating
communities of sharing.
However, the reality of today’s households is that slightly more than half
of American families gather around the dinner table to share in a
delicious meal and enjoy each other’s company. It’s this situation
that drives the Dream Dinners franchise mission.
3. In fact, 53 percent of U.S. families with children under 18 said they ate
together between six and seven nights per week, according to data
from a 2013 Gallup study. That figure has held roughly constant over
the past few decades, but there are a couple factors that can influence
whether families sit down at home for dinner.
Marriage: As it might be expected, married parents reported having
dinner with their families more than single individuals.
Employment: Interestingly, parents who work full time indicated their
families have dinner together less frequently than those who work part
time or not at all.
Family Dinner: A Cultural Norm
4. It’s not surprising that busy parents have trouble finding the time to
prepare dinner for their loved ones on a daily basis. But, the alternative
– eating out or ordering take-out – can have numerous harmful effects
on the family.
When you head out to a restaurant for a meal, you’re almost
guaranteed to be eating food in greater portions and with higher
caloric value than you would in most at-home meals. A 2013 study by
Public Health Nutrition demonstrated that the participants in the
survey ate an additional 200 calories per day on average compared to
their counterparts who ate at home. In addition to hiking up their
calorie count, people who eat out at restaurants tend to consume
more salt, sugar and saturated fats – leading to an overall unhealthy
diet.
Calorie Clampdown
5. Did you know the average cost of a meal outside of the home is almost
$13? Meanwhile, the average American heads out to eat slightly more
than 18 times per month. The result for many households is a major dent
in their family budgets. Meals prepared at home are less costly than
eating out, even if you eat at fast-food or fast-casual restaurants.
Despite the fact that planning for dinner can cause some anxiety, sitting
for a family dinner is actually a great way for parents – mothers, in
particular – to reduce their stress levels. A 2008 study from Brigham
Young University found that working mothers saw their tension levels
drop when they were able to sit down for dinner with their families.
Financial Factors
Stress Surge
6. The overarching goal that Dream Dinners
franchisees seek to fulfill is keeping the family
dinner a central feature of their customers’ – and
communities’ – daily lives. Dream Dinners helps
families eliminate the need to eat out or order take-
out to alleviate the stress of meal preparation. By
doing so, we help families avoid many of the
negative consequences of outside-the-home meals.
Visit the Dream Dinners franchise information page
to get started.
Have a Positive Impact with a Dream Dinners
Franchise