Dinner Table Trends
by Amy Hunt

According to a recent survey by Kraft Foods, Inc. and Yankelovich Partners, 7 in 10 American families still sit down to dinner together at least five days a week. The survey, which gauged Americans' dinnertime attitudes, behaviors and beliefs, found that family traditions are born from dinnertime rituals. Here are some of its findings:

• 89% of Americans say dinnertime is when family traditions are born. Dinnertime habits include talking about the day (92%), giving thanks (77%), telling jokes (63%), learning about the family's heritage (44%) and giving toasts (20%).

• Dinners are later -- nearly 40% of families eat dinner after 7 p.m. If they could, 25% would prefer to eat earlier. For Gen-Xers, dinner is even later as one in five say they eat after 8 p.m. each night.

• 94% of families say kids choose what's for dinner on weekdays.

• Nearly 4 in 10 families decide what to eat only minutes before they start cooking or preparing foods.

• Eight in 10 Americans say they have their own "place" at the table.

• Nearly half of Americans spend 45 minutes or more preparing dinner, but only 30 minutes or less eating together.

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