Retailers Celebrate Family Meals Month
In conjunction with the Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) Family Meals Month initiative throughout the month of September, Andronico’s and Hy-Vee are setting the table with integrated programs to create more family meal occasions and encourage American families to eat one more meal together each week.
For its part, San Franciso-based Andronico’s is offering a "Big Night In" rotisserie chicken meal deal that includes an all natural rotisserie chicken, a choice of two housemade sides and a fresh baguette for $19.99, in addition to several other convenient options for healthy, quick and well-priced family meals. The heat-and-eat meals are available in Andronico's FitMarket Meals and Classic Meals versions and all are priced at $9.99, allowing each member of the family to choose their favorite. Customers can subscribe to emails to receive $1 off coupons on select meals all month long. The Big Night In meal deal is available in its Bay Area stores and on Instacart.
“We’ve always been about community so we were happy to create another opportunity to support our local families by offering this healthy family value,” said Becky Paine, Andronico’s director of deli, prepared foods & bakery. “Offering this great menu at such a value fits in perfectly with our newly launched commitment to healthy living for the community through our FitMarket initiative.”
Hy-Vee Dishes Up Easy Solutions
West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee also is encouraging more families to eat together by offering in-store family cooking classes with its dietitians, easy pickup and delivery meal options and a children eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée promotion at its more than 90 Market Grille restaurants across eight states. The 240-store Hy-Vee also offers DISH (Dinner is Solved at Hy-Vee), a meal prep program where customers gather at the store to work with Hy-Vee chefs or dietitians to prepare recipes and take home a cooler of take-and-bake meals. DISH to Go offers these meals already prepped and are available in the freezer cases at select stores.
Throughout September, Hy-Vee is also encouraging customers to take photos of their families eating together and post it to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #HyVeeFamilyMeals. For every photo posted, the company will donate $1, up to $100,000, to Meals from the Heartland.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for our customers to find that special time to sit down and have a family meal again,” said Randy Edeker, Hy-Vee chairman, CEO and president. “By having recipes already prepared or offering cooking classes that families can take together, our goal is to cut back on the stress of meal preparation so families can enjoy more time around the dinner table.”
FMI's National Family Meals Month is an industry-inspired movement to raise consumer awareness of the health and societal benefits of sharing frequent family meals. More than 76 percent of people report that conflicting schedules are a primary barrier to cooking and eating together on a regular basis. However, research shows that children who share regular family meals benefit from better grades, improved nutrition, stronger family relationships and higher self-esteem, and they are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. According to a 2013 Harris Poll, only 30 percent of American families share dinner together every night.