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Retailer Toolkit

Join The Family Meals Movement!

September is National Family Meals Month,™ an industry-wide movement to raise awareness of the benefits of frequent family meals. Join us, your industry’s trade association, as we work collaboratively with retailers from across the country to bring families back to the table to share one more meal at home per week. We invite you to join the movement and celebrate National Family Meals Month™ in September. Whether you have a robust family meals program in place, or you’re just getting started, there’s a way to bring the family meals movement to your shoppers. This toolkit is designed to inspire, and demonstrate how you can implement National Family Meals Month™ this September.

Retailer Toolkit Cover
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF TOOLKIT

Rally Your Staff and Customers around the Cause

The movement begins with showing your support for family meals by telling your staff and shoppers about the many benefits of sharing more meals at home as a family. These key messages and research can aid in communicating the importance of family meals and participating in National Family Meals Month.  Share the following with staff and incorporate into your customer messaging:

Key Messages for Consumers

We’re celebrating National Family Meals Month™ in September, a nationwide event designed to underscore the benefits of family meals and the role we can play in helping your family share one more meal at home per week.

  • We know that juggling jobs, kids and the demands of a busy, modern life often come at the expense of family mealtime at home. As your grocer, we’re your ally—the solution to your mealtime dilemma.
  • You can find easy, healthy mealtime solutions in nearly every aisle of the store. Need help? We invest in our associates so they can help you find the mealtime solutions that work best for you and your family.
  • 63% of Americans decide what to eat less than an hour before eating. Source: Hartman Group, 2013
    • We offer an ever-expanded assortment of products that take the stress out of planning and preparing family meals: pre-prepped fresh ingredients, delicious readymade entrees and wholesome heat and eat dishes, and more.

Researchers and health experts endorse and promote the lifelong benefits of family meals.

  • Numerous studies show that home-cooked meals nourish the spirit, brain and health of all family members.
  • Regular family meals are linked to the kinds of outcomes that we all want for our children: higher grades and self-esteem, healthier eating habits and less risky behavior.

September, back-to-school season, is the perfect time to commit to sharing one more family meal at home per week.

  • With the start of a new school year, renew your commitment to creating and serving meals at home that nourish your kids’ brains and help them flourish for life.
  • As you juggle new school routines and fall activities, we invite you to look to us, your grocer, for help. When it comes to making more shared mealtimes happen for your busy family, let us be your ally.

We’re helping your family eat well together to be well together.

  • We’re committed to helping you make shared meals at home fun, affordable and healthier.
  • We have knowledgeable staff available to help you locate products that meet special diet and nutrition requirements.

Show your commitment to the National Family Meals Movement on social media.

  • Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for family meals focused content, including shopping tips and recipes. [insert company social media handles]
  • Show your support for National Family Meals Month™ by pledging on social media to Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to sharing one more family meal at home per week.
  • Have fun with the pledge and help us bring national awareness to the benefits of family meals with Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ selfies and the National Family Meals Month™ hashtag #familymealsmonth.
  • Share your own family meal experiences, misadventures and solutions with your social channels, and don’t forget to hashtag #familymealsmonth.

Key Messages for Employees 

Created by the Food Marketing Institute Foundation, National Family Meals Month™, launched in September 2015, is a nationwide event designed to bring grocers together to advocate for the benefits of family meals and underscore the role grocers play in helping families create and share more meals at home.

  • With a collective and coordinated message, we’re joining with grocers nationwide to encourage families to share one more meal at home per week, reminding them that easy, healthy mealtime solutions can be found in nearly every supermarket aisle.
  • Grocers, like us, are the solution to the mealtime dilemma faced by modern, time-strapped families of all shapes and sizes.
  • We offer an expanded assortment of mealtime solutions that take the stress out of planning and preparing family meals: pre-prepped fresh ingredients, delicious readymade entrees, wholesome heat-and-eat dishes and much more.

Researchers, health experts and popular media are endorsing and promoting the lifelong benefits of family meals.

  • Numerous studies show that home-cooked meals nourish the spirit, brain and health of all family members.
  • Regular family meals are linked to the kinds of outcomes that we all want for our children: higher grades and self-esteem, healthier eating habits and less risky behavior.
  • There’s clear evidence the structure of a meal can heavily influence a child’s long-term health. Kids and teens that share meals with their family three or more times per week are significantly less likely to be overweight, more likely to eat healthy foods and less likely to have eating disorders. Source: J. Berge, “The Protective Role of Family Meals for Youth Obesity: 10-year Longitudinal Association. 2014
  • With each additional family meal shared each week, adolescents are less likely to show symptoms of depression, less likely to use or abuse drugs and less likely to engage in delinquent acts. Sources: Meier, A. & Musick, K. Variation in Associations Between Family Dinners and Adolescent Well-Being, Journal of Marriage and Family, 2014. Hammonds, A.J. & Fiese, B.A. Is Frequency of Shared Meals Related to the Nutritional Health of Children and Adolescents? Pediatrics 2011
  • A 2014 study shows that children who grow up sharing family meals are more likely to exhibit prosocial behavior as adults, such as sharing, fairness and respect. Source: De Backer, Charlotte, JS, “Our” food versus “my” food. Investigating the relation between childhood shared food practices and adult prosocial behavior in Belgium, Appetite, 2014

September, back-to-school season, is the perfect time to encourage and help shoppers commit to sharing one more family meal at home per week.

  • With the start of a new school year, parents are ready and willing to make a renewed commitment to healthy meals that nourish their kids’ brains and help them flourish.
  • As families juggle their new school routines and fall activities, we want them to turn to us, their grocer, for help. As a grocer, offering solutions across the aisles, we’re the ultimate ally to help bring family mealtime back to the table.

People are hungry for help in the kitchen. Shopper studies show that 81% of parents buy items with minimal prep time. Sources: FMI Shopping for Health, 2013; FMI: U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends; 2014; Hartman Group, 2013

  • Parents choose convenience when time is limited, and they recognize it. They want us to provide them with convenient solutions requiring minimal prep and cleanup time to help them make family mealtime happen at home. For many time-starved shoppers, convenience is as important as nutrition.
  • 63% of Americans decide what to eat less than an hour before eating. (Hartman Group, 2013)

We’re helping shoppers eat well.

  • We’re committed to helping make shared meals at home fun, affordable and healthier.
  • We’re providing shoppers with wellness programs that help customers improve their diet and overall health.
  • We hire and train knowledgeable staff to help shoppers locate the products they need to meet their unique dietary and nutrition needs.
  • Our in-store dietitians and wellness experts are available to help shoppers interpret complicated nutrition labels.

We’re leveraging social media this September to activate shopper engagement during National Family Meals Month™, and to get families interacting about family mealtime.

  • We’ll share family meals focused content in social channels throughout September, including the National Family Meals Month™ designated hashtag, #familymealsmonth. [insert your social media handles]
  • We’ll encourage consumers to raise their oven mitts and pledge to commit to one more family meal per week.

We want selfies with the hashtag #familymealsmonth to go viral as shoppers post their “Raise a Mitt” pledge photos, mealtime pictures, favorite recipes and shopping tips to their social media feeds.

Supporting Research

Quick Stats

  • 81% of parents buy items with minimal prep time The Food Marketing Institute. FMI Shopping for Health 2013. The Food Marketing Institute. FMI U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2014.
  • 63% of Americans decide what to eat less than an hour before eating. The Hartman Group. Eating Occasions Compass 2013.
  • Today 42% of men are cooking as compared to 29% in 1965. Smith, L. (2013). Trends in US home food preparation and consumption: analysis of national nutrition surveys and time use studies from 1965-1966 to 2007-2008. Nutrition Journal, 12 (45).
  • 57% of people decide what’s for dinner an hour before mealtime. 26% decided earlier that same day. The NPD Group. National Eating Trends® 2012.
  • According to a 2013 Harris poll, only 30 percent of American families share dinner every night. Wolfson, J. and Bleich, S. (2014). Is cooking at home associated with better diet quality or weight-loss intention? Public Health Nutrition, Published online 17 November 2014.
  • 68% of consumers say dinner is the mealtime most of the people in the household eat together. The Hartman Group. Modern Eating: Cultural Roots, Daily Behaviors 2013.
  • 70% of consumers say they usually or always eat the same things when they eat together. The Hartman Group. Modern Eating: Cultural Roots, Daily Behaviors 2013.

See all supporting research

Infographics

These infographics depict additional research that support the benefits of family meals. Click on an image to enlarge it to download and share. 

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Highlight Your Meal Services and Solutions

September is back-to-school time and time for families to establish new routines. It is the perfect time to position your company as an essential ally for busy families and leverage the new school year to become an integral part of their new routine. By reminding families why and how your company is investing in mealtime solutions for every family in every aisle, you’ll build customer loyalty and generate goodwill in your community.

Looking for ways to showcase the mealtime solutions you offer? The simplest way to build on the power of National Family Meals Month is to incorporate it into your existing programs.  The next several pages contain activation ideas and thought starters on ways to integrate family meals content in social media, in-store promotions, and paid advertising.     

National Family Meals Month™ Activation Ideas

Social Media

Spread the family meals message in September with #familymealsmonth

  • In September, and throughout the year, share research and quick statistics with your customers about the many ways children can benefit from eating meals together at home. Hashtag #familymealsmonth to let your customers know you’re in support of families and National Family Meals Month™.
  • Encourage customers to celebrate National Family Meals Month™ in September by incorporating one more family meal at home per week into their new school year routines. Spark conversation, ask customers to share how they’re making more family meals happen at home, more often.
  • Use the Raise Your Mitt To Commit™ logo provided in the toolkit as a call to action for customers. Encourage customers to engage on social media during National Family Meals Month™ by posting oven mitt selfies and taking the pledge to share one more family meal per week.
  • Conduct contests designed to promote user-generated content and reward participants with prizes.  Weekly contest idea: Each week during National Family Meals Month™ ask your customers to share photos of their favorite home-cooked family meal—breakfast, lunch or dinner—and share product coupons with those who participate.  Contests can also call for recipes, videos, a favorite family meal memory, or a fun fact about the impact that having regular family meals has had in their lives.  Prizes may include: a cash reward, groceries for a week, or a branded oven mitt.  
  • Share family meals themed promotions that highlight the meal solutions you offer every day to help busy customers honor their pledges to share one more family meal at home per week. Knowing that many customers won’t decide what they’re eating for dinner until the hours immediately preceding mealtime, consider afternoon reminders to entice customers with prepared meal ideas available for quick weekday pick-ups.
  • Record in-store recipe demonstrations and/or broadcast them on Periscope, Facebook Live, etc.  Repurpose videos on social media by editing and sharing parts of the recipe demo; timelapsing the demonstration; and/or adding captions and graphics. 
  • Share National Family Meals Month™ recipes from your Web site to help families share one more meal at home per week.
  • Partner with other National Family Meals Month™ participants to host a Twitter chat or series of chats designed to raise the awareness of the importance of family meals, share recipes/resources, and generate dialogue with the public. 
  • Amplify social media content across multiple platforms including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Yummily, and Periscope.  Add Yummly plug-ins to National Family Meals Month content.
  • Encourage followers and fans to share facts, contests, recipes, and other content with their network, and across social media platforms, to showcase the importance and impact of family meals. 
  • Establish blogger relationships or leverage bloggers in your existing network to write about National Family Meals Month and link back to recipes, programs, contests, etc.  

For Employees

  • Snap a group photo of your employees raising their oven mitts in commitment to helping families share one more family meal at home per week. Share their commitment with your customers using hashtag #familymealsmonth.
  • Encourage your employees to Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to share one more meal at home per week with their families by taking the social media, oven mitt selfie pledge.
  • Gather employee testimonials about what one more family meal per week means to them. Share these testimonials with customers on social media.

For Public Figures

  • Ask local celebrities and government officials to join in the National Family Meals Month™ celebration with hashtag #familymealsmonth. Encourage them to take the social media, oven mitt selfie pledge to demonstrate their commitment to family and community. Remind them that family meals make families stronger, and strong families make healthy communities.
  • Invite a government official, like your mayor or local member of Congress, to share a message using hashtag #familymealsmonth about the importance of family meals in his or her own family.

In-Store

  • Throughout National Family Meals Month™ feature “Family Meal of the Week” promotions that highlight the prepared meal solutions you offer throughout the store. Use the complementary logo elements provided in the complimentary National Family Meals Month™ toolkit to create floor stickers directing customers to your featured “Family Meal of the Week.”   
  • Integrate National Family Meals Month™ logo elements into your store’s shelf tag system; use as floor clings, door stickers and chalkboard art. The logo elements and graphics can be incorporated into signage across your store. Consider creating stickers for the prepared foods and deli sections, where grab-n-go items like rotisserie chickens make for a quick, affordable, healthy and satisfying family meal.
  • Promote the benefits of frequent family meals, and help make sharing one more meal at home per week a possibility for all families in your community. Conduct a “Round-Up” campaign in September as part of National Family Meals Month™, during which you ask customers if they’d like to round-up their grocery bill total to the next dollar to benefit a local food bank.
  • Have fun with National Family Meals Month™ Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ pledge. Give customers whose spending exceeds a predetermined dollar amount during the month of September a free oven mitt branded with your company logo and the National Family Meals Month ™ logo. Bring a food manufacturer on board by tying this giveaway to a specific brand promotion and incorporating their logo on the 2015 mitt. Each year, create a new mitt for your loyal customers to collect.
  • Brand oven mitts with National Family Meals Month™ for your culinary professionals to use in-store. Or, use them to grab customer’s attention at checkout. Filled with National Family Meals Month™ themed coupons, they can also be used for special giveaways during September.
  • Place helium balloons and/or aisle signage that are branded with the National Family Meals Month™ logo and/or Raise Your Mitt To Commit™ pledge throughout the store to highlight special family meal promotions.
  • Host a National Family Meals Month™ sample day featuring easy recipes, food items and ingredients that can help families share one more meal at home per week.
  • Host a National Family Meals Month™ kick-off party in September to get customers in the family meal spirit and provide them with the resources they need (e.g. cooking tips, meal-planning advice, etc.) to make sharing one more family meal at home per week an easy addition to their new school year routines.
  • Include a pamphlet at checkout, or create cart signage, that emphasizes the important health, emotional and societal benefits of family meals. Let your customers know why you’re investing in family meals and that you’re part of an industrywide movement dedicated to bringing shared mealtime back home to the family table.

  • Conduct cooking classes in-store.  Feature “graduates” on social media raising their mitts to commit to one more family meal a week.

Paid Advertising

  • Go small or go big: simply place the National Family Meals Month™ icon in the appropriate sections of your newspaper ads, or devote a Sunday insert to National Family Meals Month™. You’ll help bring national attention to the benefits of family mealtime while positioning your company as a committed supporter of families and community.
  • Bring the Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ pledge to print advertising and give a “mittful of savings” to customers during National Family Meals Month™. Feature the oven mitt selfies your customers are uploading to social media in your advertising to encourage even more customer engagement.

Best Practices

  • Tag FMI in social media content for easy recognition and incorporation into National Family Meals Month metrics. 
  • Whether simply posting or hosting an online chat, use audience feedback prompts.  Examples include: “Share a memory of your favorite family meal” or “Where is the most foreign or most unusual place your family has shared a meal?”
  • Share success stories from previous National Family Meals Months.
  • Feature visually engaging content including photos and videos.
  • Feature user-generated content. 
  • Feature real people and families (e.g., followers, fans, company employees)
  • Incorporate an interactive component into your programming, such as contests.
  • Integrate campaign tie-ins across social media and advertising platforms. 

Use National Family Meals Month™ Graphics

Participation can be as simple as incorporating the National Family Meals Month™ logo into your weekly sales flyer, social media channels and/or paid advertising.

Additionally, we know that you’re committed to helping families get meals on the table 365-days a year. Therefore, we offer a variety of versions of the logo to be used in meal promotions throughout the year.

Note that National Family Meals Month™ logos are adaptable for use across every category and in every department. Consider using them to promote meal-related products or integrating them into your store’s shelf tag system as floor clings, door stickers, chalkboard art, signage on end-caps stocked full of meal-making ingredients, or put it on buttons for your associates to wear in-store. 

National Family Meals MonthTM Logos

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Raise Your Mitt Logos

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Encourage Your Customers to Participate

We can put National Family Meals Month ™ on the map by spreading the message with hashtag #familymealsmonth and encouraging your customers to raise their oven mitts in commitment to sharing one more meal at home per week.

Use hashtag #familymealsmonth to help your company get the attention and recognition it deserves. FMI will track engagement nationwide and curate content.

The following are sample posts and tweets that can be tailored to your company’s unique voice.

Sample Facebook Posts

  • Kids who eat family meals consume more fruits and vegetables. September is National Family Meals Month™ and we’re here to help your family have one more shared meal together per week. #familymealsmonth [include link to family meal specials on your website]
  • September is National Family Meals Month™. Let’s celebrate by sharing one more family meal per week! Kids who eat with their families regularly are better nourished, have lower rates of obesity and do better in school. Easy A for family meals! #familymealsmonth
  • Busy schedules make family meal times challenging. September is National Family Meals Month™ so Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to one more family meal per week - breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack time. Find solutions at: [link to resources, specials or recipes on your website] #familymealsmonth
  • September is National Family Meals Month™. Make it easy and have one more shared meal. Pick up a rotisserie chicken and fresh or frozen veggies and your meal is complete. #familymealsmonth
  • It’s National Family Meals Month™. Raise your oven mitt to commit to one more shared meal occasion. Make breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, appetizers or late night munchies to enjoy with your family. We have what you need. #familymealsmonth
  • When the clock strikes 4pm do you know what you’re having for dinner? You’re not alone. It’s National Family Meals Month™. Stop in and we’ll make it easy for you. Pick up a prepared meal made fresh by our supermarket chef or visit the deli to grab and go a family sandwich night. (link to prepared meal specials) #familymealsmonth
  • Celebrate National Family Meals Month™. Pick up all your favorite pizza ingredients and make your own pizzas at home with your kids (link to specials or pizza recipes) #familymealsmonth
  • What’s your favorite family meal memory from childhood? Celebrate National Family Meals Month™ and create memories with your family. Make your kids’ favorite meal. Make breakfast for dinner. Pack a sack lunch dinner. Have a picnic in your family room. #familymealsmonth
  • September is National Family Meals Month™. Make memories around your kitchen table. Here are some family meal specials this week (link to sales) #familymealsmonth
  • Make meals and memories during National Family Meals Month™. Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to one more shared family meal this week. We’ve got the ingredients to help you. (link to easy family meal recipes) #familymealsmonth
  • What’s for dinner tonight? Don’t stress. We have hot, delicious and healthy prepared meals waiting for you. Get your family around the table during National Family Meals Month™. We’ll do the cooking. (link to prepared meals combos and menus) #familymealsmonth
  • September is National Family Meals Month™. This month we focus on all the benefits of gathering the family around the table for a meal. We’re all busy and getting a meal on the table can be stressful. What’s your go-to family meal? Any tips? #familymealsmonth  
  • It’s National Family Meals Month™. Good things happen around the dinner table when we share a meal with family. Do you have any games you play at the dinner table? Please share! #familymealsmonth
  • Do your kids cook or help prepare meals? What do they like to make? September is National Family Meals Month™. Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to one more family meal this week. #familymealsmonth
  • Do you have recipes where you cook once and eat twice? Please share your meal ideas that make great leftovers or second meals. September is National Family Meals Month™. Let’s help each other make it easier to gather at the table more often. #familymealsmonth
  • It’s National Family Meals Month™. Here’s a week of easy-to-make family meals (link to recipes) and specials offers to make it easier on your wallet (link to specials or coupons). #familymealsmonth
  • September is National Family Meals Month™. Need help planning easy and healthy meals for your family? Talk to our in-house dietitian and click here for more resources (link to dietitian services). #familymealsmonth
  • September is National Family Meals Month™. Our XXX family meals program is designed to make meal planning easier for you. Click here for more details. We want to help. (Link to in-house family meals program) #familymealsmonth
  • Chances are your favorite childhood memories include meals and laughter around your family table. September is National Family Meals Month™. Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to making one more family meal this week. (link to specials) #familymealsmonth
  • It’s National Family Meals Month™. Do you need more help planning meals? Do you need easier recipes to get dinner on the table quicker? We can help. (link to planning and recipe resources on your website) #familymealsmonth
  • Your supermarket chef is busy cooking all day to help you serve a delicious and healthy meal to your family. Stop by on your way home to pick up a prepared meal. It’s quick, easy. It’s National Family Meals Month™ and we’ve got you covered #familymealsmonth
  • We believe in family meals. Research shows that home-cooked meals nourish the spirit, brain and health of all family members. And regular family meals are linked to higher grades and self-esteem for our children. What’s your favorite meal to make for your family? #familymealsmonth
  • Study: Kids who share meals with their family three or more times per week are less likely to be overweight, more likely to eat healthy foods and less likely to have eating disorders. Commit to making one more family meal this week. #familymealsmonth
  • Study: With every additional family meal shared each week, adolescents are less likely to show symptoms of depression, less likely to use drugs and less likely to engage in risky behavior. We’re here to help you get your family to the table. #familymealsmonth  
  • A recent study shows that children who grow up sharing meals as a family are more likely to exhibit positive behavior as adults, such as sharing, fairness and respect. What are your favorite family-time rituals around the table? #familymealsmonth
  • Family meals have decreased one-third in the past 20 years, but the desire is still present: 90 percent of families wish they could have more meals together. We’ve got solutions for you from grab-n-go selections to preprepped ingredients. We want to make it easier for you to gather around the table. #familymealsmonth
  • Research shows 81% of parents buy food with minimal prep time. We hear you. We’ve got grab-n-go cooked meals prepared by our chefs, pre-prepped ingredients for quick cooking and ready-to-cook options. #familymealsmonth
  • Cooking trend: Parents want less prep time and less-clean-up because time is short. It’s all about convenience. We’ve got quick and easy grab-n-go chef-made meals and lots of pre-prepped ingredients already chopped and ready for cooking. #familymealsmonth

Sample Tweets

  • Sept is National Family Meals Month™. Make it easy and pick up a prepared meal made by our chef. #familymealsmonth
  • It’s National Family Meals Month™. Share one more meal this week. Breakfast, dinner or snack time brings your family together. #familymealsmonth
  • Sept is National Family Meals Month™. Make it easy and pick up a rotisserie chicken and a veggie side and gather at the table. #familymealsmonth
  • Kids love to cook. It’s National Family Meals Month™. Gather the ingredients to make a pizza at home with your family. #familymealsmonth
  • It’s National Family Meals Month™. Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to one more shared meal at home with your family this week. #familymealsmonth
  • Gather around the table for National Family Meals Month™. A shared meal at home with your kids creates memories. #familymealsmonth
  • What’s your favorite childhood family meal memory? Celebrate National Family Meals Month™ & create new memories. #familymealsmonth
  • Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to one more family meal at home this week during National Family Meals Month™. #familymealsmonth
  • It’s National Family Meals Month™! Share a family breakfast at home this weekend. We’ve got all the ingredients. #familymealsmonth
  • We’ve got all the ingredients to help you make an easy family meal. Celebrate National Family Meals Month™ this week at home. #familymealsmonth
  • Shared family meals are the best. Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to one more home-cooked meal this week. #familymealsmonth
  • What was the funniest thing that happened at school today? Ask this and other fun questions at the family table tonight. #familymealsmonth
  • Let the kids take over the kitchen tonight and make an easy family meal to celebrate National Family Meals Month™. #familymealsmonth
  • Breakfast for dinner. It’s a kid’s favorite. Let them help in the kitchen and create good memories. #familymealsmonth
  • It’s National Family Meals Month™. Set up a taco bar and have a fun shared meal. We’ve got what your need. #familymealsmonth
  • It’s National Family Meals Month™. Have fun with your kids, make Italian, Mexican or Asian dishes and celebrate with a shared meal. #familymealsmonth
  • September is National Family Meals Month™. Here are this week’s specials to help you prepare a quick meal (link) #familymealsmonth
  • Family meals matter. Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to one more shared family meal at home this week. #familymealsmonth
  • Sept is National Family Meals Month™. Snack time is a great and easy occasion to gather your family at home. #familymealsmonth
  • What was your favorite meal growing up? Make it for your family and celebrate National Family Meals Month. #familymealsmonth
  • Shared family meals at home = LOVE. Celebrate National Family Meals Month™ with these easy recipes (link). #familymealsmonth
  • Sept is National Family Meals Month™ and back to school time. Surprise the kids with a sack lunch dinner for fun! #familymealsmonth
  • National Family Meals Month™ tip: Buy extra and save time by cooking one meal & using leftovers to create a second meal #familymealsmonth
  • National Family Meals Month™ tip: Save time & prepare several dishes on Sun. Keep them in the fridge or freezer for the week ahead #familymealsmonth
  • Celebrate National Family Meals Month™. Let the kids choose their favorite meal and have them shop and cook with you. #familymealsmonth
  • Our Chef has the perfect family meal waiting for you. Stop by to pick it up and have a shared family meal. #familymealsmonth
  • Throw a blanket on the floor at home and have a picnic with your family. We’ve got sandwich ingredients to make it easy! #familymealsmonth
  • We’re celebrating National Family Meals Month™ with these great family meal specials (link) #familymealsmonth
  • September is National Family Meals Month™. Celebrate football season with a family tailgate. Invite neighbors and share dishes #familymealsmonth
  • Shared meals can be breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, after school, in the car, or snacks. Make memories at any meal. #familymealsmonth
  • We’re here to help you with your family meal solutions. Need to make quicker meals? More nutritious meals? Just ask. #familymealsmonth
  • Back to school = Back to routine. Commit to getting your family back to the table for meal. #familymealsmonth
  • Grab-n-go, ready-to-cook dishes, pre-prepped ingredients and chef-prepared meals are waiting for you to make meals easier. #familymealsmonth
  • Research shows that home-cooked meals nourish the spirit, brain and health of all family members. We’re here to help. #familymealsmonth
  • Family meals are linked to higher-grades and self-esteem, healthier eating habits and less risky behavior for our children. #familymealsmonth
  • Kids who have family meals 3x per week are less likely to be overweight and more likely to eat healthy foods. #familymealsmonth
  • Each add’l family meal shared per week, kids are less likely to show symptoms of depression and less likely to use drugs. #familymealsmonth
  • Study: Children who grow up sharing meals as a family are more likely to exhibit sharing, fairness and respect. #familymealsmonth
  • 90% of families wish they could have more meals together. We’re here to help. Commit to one more family meal this week. #familymealsmonth
  • 81% of parents buy food with minimal prep time. We hear you. Grab-n-go and pre-prepped ingredients are here for you. #familymealsmonth
  • Cooking trend: Parents want less prep time and less-clean-up because time is short. We’ve got quick and easy meals. #familymealsmonth
  • Family meals decreased one-third in the past 20 yrs. Here’s our planner app to help get your family back to the table. #familymealsmonth (link)
  • Need recipes to make meals faster and easier to get your family around the table? (link) #familymealsmonth

Raise Your Mitt Selfies

Use the social media ideas above for fun ways to engage customers with oven mitt selfies and socialize National Family Meals Month™ with hashtag #familymealsmonth. You can get the Raise Your Mitt To Commit™ selfies trending by sharing these few photos on social media of real families raising their mitts to commit to one more meal at home per week. You have permission to use these photos in your promotion of National Family Meals Month™.

RaiseMitt-Siblings
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RaiseMitt-Family
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Include National Family Meals Month™ Announcements in Your Broadcast Messaging

Broadcast and In-Store Messaging Scripts  

10 Second Tag

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL FAMILY MEALS MONTH. RAISE YOUR OVEN MITT TO COMMIT TO ONE MORE FAMILY MEAL AT HOME PER WEEK – BECAUSE FAMILY MEALS MAKE FAMILIES STRONGER.

15 Second In-Store Announcement

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL FAMILY MEALS MONTH. (COMPANY NAME) HAS SOLUTIONS TO HELP YOU GET A WHOLESOME FAMILY MEAL ON THE TABLE FASTER. RAISE YOUR OVEN MITT TO COMMIT TO ONE MORE FAMILY MEAL AT HOME PER WEEK - BECAUSE FAMILY MEALS MAKE FAMILIES STRONGER.

30 Second Radio/ PSA

IT’S SEPTEMBER - A NEW SCHOOL YEAR WITH NEW ROUTINES. SEPTEMBER IS ALSO NATIONAL FAMILY MEALS MONTH AND (COMPANY NAME) BELIEVES IN THE BENEFITS OF GATHERING FAMILIES AROUND THE TABLE. WE’RE HERE TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO SHARE ONE MORE MEAL AT HOME PER WEEK. WHETHER YOU NEED A READY-TO-GO MEAL OR PRE-PREPPED INGREDIENTS TO GET A MEAL ON THE TABLE FASTER – (COMPANY NAME) HAS A SOLUTION FOR MANIC MEALTIME. DURING NATIONAL FAMILY MEALS MONTH WE INVITE YOU TO RAISE YOUR OVEN MITT TO COMMIT TO ONE MORE FAMILY MEAL AT HOME PER WEEK – BECAUSE FAMILY MEALS MAKE FAMILIES STRONGER.

Press Release

 

YOUR LOGO HERE

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: PR contact’s name

(xxx) xxx-xxxx, youremail@company.com

[YOUR COMPANY NAME] Commits to Helping Families Eat at Home Together More Often During National Family Meals Month™

The proven health and societal benefits of family meals inspire a month-long event aimed at helping families get back to the table

YOUR CITY, STATE – September, day, 2017 – With an aim to inspire families to eat at home together more often, [name of company] is celebrating National Family Meals Month™ in September, encouraging customers to share one more meal together each per week at home, and highlighting simple, healthy meal solutions in nearly every aisle, every day.

Numerous studies underscore the long-term health, academic and societal benefits of consistently eating together as a family, yet, according to a 2013 Harris poll, only 30 percent of American families share dinner every night. In addition, recent research proves that people who frequently cook at home eat fewer, healthier calories.'

“September is the perfect month to spotlight the long-term benefits of family meals, and start a conversation that encourages and inspires people to return to the kitchen,” said [company spokesperson, title]. “Juggling the demands of modern life—school, sports, jobs and long commutes— can sabotage the best laid plans for home-cooked meals. We want to help our shoppers make wholesome meals together, at home, a modern family tradition.”

“Interest in creating more opportunities for families to eat meals together is at a critical point in our society,” said Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of the Food Marketing Institute, creator of National Family Meals Month™. “The will to return to the table exists, but families need a friendly, familiar voice to encourage, guide and help them. That voice comes from their neighborhood grocer.”

Recognizing mealtime struggles are real and shared by families of all shapes and sizes, [name of grocer] and food manufacturers are offering more solutions than ever before, giving shoppers the tools they need to make one more family meal at home per week . Shoppers can utilize the following in-store resources: [Supplement with your store’s offerings (e.g. Products, shortcuts, programs, etc.)]

 Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to One More Meal at Home per Week

[Company name] is encouraging the community to join the National Family Meals Month movement by pledging to one more meal at home per week. Make it official, and shareable, by posting a selfie wearing your favorite oven mitt with the hashtag #familymealsmonth. Follow [Company name] on Facebook and Twitter to join the conversation this September.

About National Family Meals Month™

As the voice of food retail, the Food Marketing Institute created National Family Meals Month™ as a nationwide, annual event to highlight the mealtime solutions offered by grocers and to encourage families to share one more meal at home per week.

About [your company]

Insert your standard boilerplate here.

# # #

'Source Note: Cornell University College of Human Ecology Department of Policy Analysis and Management: Do Family Meals Really Make a Difference?, Eliza Cook, Rachel Dunifon. 2012; Accessed [date], http://www.human.cornell.edu/pam/outreach/upload/Family-Mealtimes-2.pdf

Newsletter/Blog Content

With an aim to inspire families to eat at home together more often, we are proud to celebrate National Family Meals Month™ in September!  During September, we encourage families to share one more meal together per week and we will highlight simple, healthy meal solutions to help make that happen.

Did you know that numerous studies underscore the long-term health, academic and societal benefits of consistently eating together as a family?  Home-cooked meals nourish the spirit, brain and health of all family members.  Not to mention, people who frequently cook at home eat fewer, healthier calories.' Additionally, regular family meals are linked to the kinds of outcomes that we all want for our children: higher grades and self-esteem, healthier eating habits and less risky behavior.

However, according to a 2013 Harris poll, only 30 percent of American families share dinner every night. Why is this?  Yes, juggling jobs, kids and the demands of a busy, modern life often come at the expense of family mealtime at home. But, this doesn’t need to be the case. Let us be your ally—the solution to your mealtime dilemma. We are committed to helping your family eat well together to be well together and have these resources to bring to the table: [INSERT RESOURCES/PROGRAMS THAT YOUR COMPANY PROVIDES].

So, as the new school year starts, we challenge you to renew your commitment to creating and serving meals at home that nourish your kids and help them flourish for life. Pledge to Raise Your Mitt to Commit™ to sharing one more family meal at home per week. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for family meals focused content, including shopping tips and recipes. [insert company social media handles].  Share your own family meal experiences, misadventures and solutions within your social channels.  And, remember, use the hashtag #familymealsmonth to be part of the conversation!  

'Source Note: Cornell University College of Human Ecology Department of Policy Analysis and Management: Do Family Meals Really Make a Difference?, Eliza Cook, Rachel Dunifon. 2012; Accessed [date], http://www.human.cornell.edu/pam/outreach/upload/Family-Mealtimes-2.pdf

Communicate the Value of Ongoing Participation in National Family Meals Month™ Within Your Company

The following contains questions and answers that can be used to answer inquiries within your company and beyond. Click a question to expand and reveal the answer.  

  • What is National Family Meals Month?
  • Why family meals?
  • What is the call to action?
  • Why should we participate?
  • Do family meals really make a difference?
  • How will participating in National Family Meals Month™ benefit our company?
  • How will food manufacturers engage in National Family Meals Month™?
  • Is there a cost to participate?
  • Will other grocers in my community participate in National Family Meals Month™ in September?
  • How can we participate?
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