In days past, mealtimes for Birmingham-based families were centred around dining as a group and not as an individual, which so many modern-day families have adapted to cater for. Nowadays, there are more likely to be separate menus for picky eaters, those with dietary requirements, or a change in habit/routine due to work/school commitments.
These factors causing an upheaval in family routines have led to a change in most Birmingham-based families’ eating patterns, with as many as 68% of families admitting this in Mintel’s research from 2022. But the main question is how have Birmingham-based families changed how they eat together, and why? We discuss these questions in more detail below:
Accommodating Dietary Requirements
If you asked your parents or grandparents about their childhood mealtimes, they’d probably tell you that they ate home-cooked food, which everyone in the family was expected to partake in regardless of age. This is a direct parallel to mealtimes today, where as many as three different meals might be prepared due to dietary choices/requirements.
In days past, accommodating dietary requirements weren’t as standard as in our modern society since many Birmingham-based families couldn’t afford to provide a second option for those afflicted.
Plus, food allergies, dietary choices like veganism, vegetarianism etc. and increased sensitivity to foods weren’t as prevalent among the older generation since these changes are more commonly linked to Western culture and environmental issues. The older generation was expected to eat what they were given or go without, which has dramatically changed in modern mealtimes.
Changing Habits/Routine
Another reason Birmingham-based families have changed how they eat together is due to the evolving habits/routines within the family. In days past, you may have finished work at five o’clock, headed home and found dinner on the table; nowadays, it’s common for some UK working professionals to finish as late as ten o’clock in the evening, which can throw a serious wrench in mealtimes.
As a result, it has become quite popular for families to eat separately, which has led to the development of other mealtime habits, such as eating in front of the TV or the comfort of our bedrooms. However, providing you think outside the box, there are plenty of ways for Birmingham-based families to reconnect over dinnertime.
One way is by furnishing your space in a way that accommodates your family’s eating routines; for instance, if you like to eat around the TV, use nesting coffee tables to provide surfaces or if you all eat at different times, why not invest in space-saving furnishings like these dining tables from Furniture Village. For more inspiration, consider visiting their website to browse their entire catalogue and see how their furnishings could make it easier for your family to dine together.
Less Time To Cook
Leading busier lifestyles has made sticking to routine mealtimes more challenging as well. In days past, most Birmingham-based families relied on the woman of the family to prepare meals while the man was the main bread-earner, meaning that a home-cooked meal was expected every night.
However, in modern times, both females and males share the money-earning aspect, which makes meal preparation more challenging. Whether you don’t get back from work until past a particular time or you’re too tired to cook after a busy shift – we now have less time to cook, which can also affect eating together as a family.
