What time do you eat dinner?

[fairfarmhand]

Between 5:30 and 6

[rebcoola]

7 is probably most common but anytime between 5-9 depending on the day.

[Everything Chocolate]

I aim to have it ready by 5:30, but sometimes it's closer to 6 pm before we sit down.

[KungFuPanda]

When I can get away with it, 2 p.m. . . . That's the big meal. Later they can do a light supper of leftovers or whatever, but my life is so much easier when the main feel falls in the middle of the work day.

 

[Spryte]

42 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

When I can get away with it, 2 p.m. . . . That's the big meal. Later they can do a light supper of leftovers or whatever, but my life is so much easier when the main feel falls in the middle of the work day.

 

That’s close to my favorite schedule. I like having the big meal around 3 pm, and light meals after, preferably self serve light meals. Doesn’t often happen, but definitely my preference.

 

 

[KungFuPanda]

8 minutes ago, Spryte said:

That’s close to my favorite schedule. I like having the big meal around 3 pm, and light meals after, preferably self serve light meals. Doesn’t often happen, but definitely my preference.

 

 

I switched to this schedule when Dh started working from home about 7-8 years ago.  Pre-Pandemic I taught a lot of night classes. This schedule just worked best for us. An added bonus is that the instances of going to bed without doing the dishes are greatly reduced.  

[Lady Florida.]

Usually between 6 and 6:30. Sometimes events or activities cause us to eat earlier or later but that's our most common dinner time.

[J-rap]

Usually around 6:30, but it could be later.  We're not on a strict schedule. 

[Annie G]

7 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

When I can get away with it, 2 p.m. . . . That's the big meal. Later they can do a light supper of leftovers or whatever, but my life is so much easier when the main feel falls in the middle of the work day.

 

I would love to switch to that schedule.  Would be so much easier on me.

[Pam in CT]

20 hours ago, Farrar said:

I try to aim for before 8, but sometimes I don't quite hit that deadline.

This.  When the kids were around and my husband rarely made it home for dinner, I aimed for before 7 so they didn't graze in lieu of what I considered real food; but now that it's just us or maybe one kid, I'm more leisurely.  Unless one or the other of us has night zooms, in which case we eat more like 6:30, beforehand. All in, it's pretty variable.

[Farrar]

I'm just relieved I'm not the only one eating late. I always try to play it like we're European or something. But I know we're weirdos.

[Melissa Louise]

When my kids were really little, we'd eat super early. Like, 4.45 sometimes, esp in winter.

But with no kids, long days, and adult hours, eating before 7ish is just too early for me. I'm prepared to wait till 9 if someone else is cooking! 

I also preferred the main meal at lunch stage, but we could only swing that on at-home homeschool days. 

 

 

[HS Mom in NC]

9 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

When I can get away with it, 2 p.m. . . . That's the big meal. Later they can do a light supper of leftovers or whatever, but my life is so much easier when the main feel falls in the middle of the work day.

Oh, how I wish that would work for us.  My husband eats a light lunch because he gets lethargic after a big meal (not diabetic, he's had it checked) and wants to stay sharp during the afternoon. He's hungry for a big dinner.

When youngest graduates, I want to live on my mother's formal siesta schedule: early morning to garden (she lives where it's very hot) big lunch, reading in bed for an hour, nap for an hour, then more indoor tasks or errands, light dinner, an hour of entertainment, read for another hour, and bed.

[Pam in CT]

I would very much like to organize my life with the large leisurely meal at midday and then a smallish evening snack, bit of tapas or salad & protein or bread & cheese sort of thing.

But sadly the rest of my world, and the peeps I eat with in partcicular, seems not to share my conviction that that is a better way to live...

[Spryte]

14 hours ago, Farrar said:

I'm just relieved I'm not the only one eating late. I always try to play it like we're European or something. But I know we're weirdos.

We eat late, too, I just didn’t realize quite how weird we were till posting the question. 🤣

I would love to do the large meal in the early afternoon, and light snacks later, but it just never happens for us, unless I make it into an event.

When DH traveled (internationally) a lot, pre-pandemic, he’d come home used to eating around 10pm — that’s a bit too late for us, but 8 - 9 happens more often than I’d like!

[Kanin]

We've been eating around 7:45. The goal is 7:30!

[KungFuPanda]

19 hours ago, HS Mom in NC said:

Oh, how I wish that would work for us.  My husband eats a light lunch because he gets lethargic after a big meal (not diabetic, he's had it checked) and wants to stay sharp during the afternoon. He's hungry for a big dinner.

When youngest graduates, I want to live on my mother's formal siesta schedule: early morning to garden (she lives where it's very hot) big lunch, reading in bed for an hour, nap for an hour, then more indoor tasks or errands, light dinner, an hour of entertainment, read for another hour, and bed.

I aspire to be your mother!

21 hours ago, Farrar said:

I'm just relieved I'm not the only one eating late. I always try to play it like we're European or something. But I know we're weirdos.

When we were deep in the homeschooling trenches with both kids we had THE latest dinners. 9 or 10 pm was not unusual. We never had to get up too early. We used to claim we were operating on Pacific time, but in the Balt-Wash area. We’d go to the bookstore late at night. All of the self-respecting African American and white families had their kids home in bed. It would be my kids, Indian kids, and Hispanic kids in the children’s section of Borders late at night. 
 

[smfmommy]

Predominately we eat at 5:30.  Sometimes a little sooner depending on hubby's schedule.  It's early from my experience but we eat lunch early and have a snack mid afternoon.  Maybe it would be later if my kids woke up later but they are up and hungry by 7:30 every day.