As seasons change and shoppers return to school and work routines, one constant remains—eating together.
By: Kelli Windsor, Vice President, Web & Digital Communications, FMI
Somehow, summer is coming to an end, and every person I talk to agrees that the season went by way too fast. Just this week, my daughter returned to school, and I started being served fall crockpot meals on my Instagram feed. Where did 
the season of sand and sun go?
Regardless, this season of returning to a routine doesn’t feel as abrupt as it could be with the help of family meals. All summer long, the group of people we gathered around our table looked different—some family, some friends, some pets we watched while people traveled—but we all sat down together and broke bread, or in one case, shared a banana split. The tradition of eating together makes the return to routine a bit easier.
Shoppers Desire to Eat Together, But Need Help
According to FMI’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2026: Return to Routine report, 91% of shoppers see the benefits of family meals, and 66% of these shoppers say the benefits of family meals outweigh the cost/effort put into them. Clearly, there is strong support for family meals, but let’s not forget the many distractions, time restraints or last-minute demands that take us all away from our best-intentioned meal plans. That’s why it’s important for the food industry to support family meals and help shoppers with meal ideation, inspiration, preparation and more.
Remember How Sharing a Meal Benefits Us
The least favorite part of every shared meal in my house is when I ask my daughter about her day, and she gives me a one-word answer, “Great.” That’s when I take a deep breath and remember the benefits of family meals. I’m not alone in seeing these benefits:
- 72% of shoppers say family meals help teach respectful interactions.
- 64% of shoppers say sitting at a meal together keeps conversations civil.
- 65% of shoppers say family meals create a safe space to discuss thorny societal issues.
- 63% of shoppers plan to have more family meals because it’s economical.
So, after my deep breath, I ask my daughter one of our go-to three’s: “What was the best part of your day or the worst part or…the weirdest part?” Soon we’re all laughing and sharing stories, and I know the magic of eating together has worked again.
You can help your shoppers start these conversations at their shared meals with the FMI Foundations’ Table Talk Placemats. The placemats are easy to print and a great addition to the checkout line, helping shoppers get more than one-word answers from their meal mates, no matter their age.
As we approach September, National Family Meals Month ™, I’m excited to see the creative and inspiring ways the food industry will celebrate the constant in so many of our lives—eating together.
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