Hortwitz’s article to me made a very interesting claim. She claimed that as
Americans we no longer have a fixed mealtime. Because of our busy schedules it
is hard for us to acquire a fixed mealtime that works for our schedule as well
as others. As a consequence many American’s often eat alone (Hortwitz). As a
result of this Hortwitz claims that many food companies have taken note of this
and redesigned their food so that it could be eaten on the go. Hortwitz uses a
couple of examples of this. Her first example was Campbell’s Soup at Hand (Hortwitz
42). Campbell’s realized that many Americans didn’t have the time to open a can
of soup pour it in a pot and cook it on the stove (as if that takes a lot of
time). Campbell’s created Soup at hand which essentially cuts out the stove and
pot saving time and making it more portable. Now it is easier than ever to eat
soup on the go. You simply pop it into the microwave wait a couple seconds and
it is ready to enjoy. This is perfect for many Americans to eat in a hurry and
by themselves. Hortwiz also uses Swanson’s TV dinners as another example.
Seeing the growing trend of American’s schedules becoming more and more busy
they created the frozen microwavable meals (Hortwitz 44). This allowed for many
Americans to eat and watch TV at the same time. Hortwiz comments, “It was the
taste of freedom” (Hortwitz 44).
Being in college I can definitely relate to Hortwitz’s argument. Because I have
a busy schedule I find it hard to synchronize my eating times with that of my
friends. This leads to a solo lunch on most days. Since I only have a short
time for lunch I need food that is quick and easy to obtain and can be eaten
alone. Thankfully DU has Nagel, which offers “To Go” food unlike the dining
halls. Fortunately though I have dinner every night accompanied with my
friends. However when I am at home I do find that I have a fixed dinnertime.
Monday through Saturday dinner at my house is always served by six o’clock. At
that time it is usually my parents and I at the table. When I was younger my
sisters were of course at the dinner table along side us. However due to the
large age gap between my sisters and I, for the majority of my life the dinner
table has always been set for three. Sunday dinners in my family are always
early. We usually eat around four if not before. My parents usually cook a big
meal for us all to enjoy. Once in a while my older sister and her family will
pop in and join us.
I like the idea of a fixed mealtime because you know when you are going to eat.
Growing up I knew that I would be eating dinner by no later than six. Dinner in
my family was always a time to catch up on the day’s events and a way to
reconnect. Now that I don’t have a fixed mealtime I’m never sure as to when I
will be able to sit down and eat a meal. Most of my meals are quick and easy to
eat due to my busy schedule and are most often eaten in front of my computer.
The only meal I actually get to sit down and enjoy with others is dinner, when
my friends and I can reconnect at the end of the day.
I always had a fixed mealtime, but as a got older the lines definitely blurred to the point where it was hard to get everyone in my family together for one meal. I admit though, that I do fell the "taste of freedom" whenever I make a meal in my dorm room and catch up on some hulu.
ReplyDeleteI like this whole "taste of freedom" thing. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody has already marketed that. What is the "taste of freedom"? I imagine something that tastes like Slim Jims.
ReplyDeleteA fixed mealtime is somewhat attractive, for the reasons you mention. It also seems healthier for many people.