The top ten favorite family meals in America have been revealed.

In America, the evening meal is a special time for families, and gathering around the table at the end of the day to share a home-cooked dinner used to be the norm. But, as contemporary life becomes more stressful than ever, American families are spending less and less time at the dinner table. Although instant pots, slow cookers and crock pots, and air fryers might help, the truth is that dining on the move is gaining control.

After polling 2,800 families, we observed that fewer than one in every five American families (18%) have supper together at least once a week, with the typical family more likely to share a meal together once a month (68%). Despite these modest numbers, Americans have a great hunger for dining together, with three quarters (74%) stating they would want to dine together more often.

We also asked these families what their main priorities were for supper; convenience and affordability were the two most common replies (73% and 63%, respectively), whereas nutritional content was chosen by less than half of respondents (46%). When asked what their favorite dinnertime foods were, pizza came out on top, followed by hamburgers, tacos, and fried chicken, all of which are generally associated with fast food.

Favorite family meals

We used Google Trends to see where these American favorites were most popular. Check out the top ten below, as well as the states that enjoy them the most.

1. Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, New York, Rhode Island, and Ohio pizza

2. Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota all have hamburgers.

3. Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas Tacos

4. Alabama, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Oklahoma all have fried chicken.

5. Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, and Wyoming

6. Arkansas, Mississippi, Utah, and West Virginia

7. Macaroni and cheese Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin are all states.

8. Barbeque Indiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington are among the states represented.

9. Maine, Maryland, Montana, and New Hampshire all have pot pies.

10. Potato mash Alaska, Missouri, Oregon, and Pennsylvania are among the states represented.

More over a third of American families (35%) do not prepare any of their meals from scratch, instead opting for oven-ready, microwaveable, or takeaway meals, or eating out at restaurants, as some of the most popular dishes advise.

According to the CDC, just one out of every ten Americans eats enough fruits and vegetables to have a balanced diet*. This was mirrored in our study findings, which revealed that just one-quarter of families (23%) typically use fresh veggies while preparing the main meal of the day.

Contemporary life is busier than ever, and it is fair that some families may struggle to find time to sit down and enjoy a nice and healthy meal together on a regular basis.

Yet, with life becoming more hectic, it has never been more vital to try to find those times when the whole family can not only eat a well-balanced dinner with fresh food, but also an hour away from distractions and simply chat to one other.