Sitting down to a home-cooked meal with the whole family is increasingly a thing of the past, according to a report from the trend-watching Hartman Group. Instead, half of all eating occasions are snacks or mini-meals, and nearly half (47%) are eaten alone. The report cited increased availability of food from outlets ranging from warehouse clubs to convenience stores to home-goods retailers. Increasingly, people are eating on the go but actually at home, consuming take-out and prepared foods purchased en route. They see it as a way to catch up on work, reading and television programs, the report said, and to nourish themselves without having to wait for family members who are going in all different directions.
