Food can be one of the most powerful ways people can connect with each other, but recent studies show Americans are spending more time dining alone. In 2023, nearly 1 in 4 Americans reported eating all of the meals the previous day alone. That number increased 53% over 20 years.
Food brings friends and families together around a dinner table, it's the centerpiece to traditions and celebrations, and it helps communities build relationships across backgrounds, cultures and even generations.
From neighborhood restaurants, backyard cookouts and family recipes, food is a common language that can foster belonging and connection.
Social connection is critically important for our health and happiness, and sharing meals is associated with greater wellbeing.
What’s at risk when we spend less time around the dinner table with each other? What role do local food systems play in strengthening neighborhoods? What do we lose when we lose community spaces built around food?
On this episode, we explore the many ways food can help create and sustain community. We’ll discuss why sharing meals continues to be a meaningful experience and the role restaurants, markets, festivals and gathering places play in bringing people together. We also look at how Charlotte’s growing food scene can create new opportunities for connection across communities and cultures.
GUESTS:
Ashli Q. Stokes, professor of communication studies at UNC Charlotte and author of “Consuming Identity: The Role of Food in Redefining the South” (2016)
Kris Reid, chef and executive director of Slow Food USA
Kristen Wile, editor of Unpretentious Palette
