Kelly Neil spends a lot of time on her own. She working as a food photographer, blogger, and newspaper columnist. and She decided one of her goals for 2019 would be to strengthen connections with people in real life.
Growing up, Neil was always on the go with sports and hobbies so she ate many of her meals alone — usually standing at the kitchen counter downing instant downing ramen, frozen dinners, or sandwiches.
When she began a career in restaurants, she’d snack on bread at work or eat take-out meals at home in bed. Years later, she found she was still often eating alone — usually while reading a magazine or scrolling on her phone.
Now that she has a two-year-old daughter, Neil says it’s important to take the time to sit together for meals.
“Listening is something I strive to be good at, and the dinner table is a great place to practice that,” says Neil. “I want to show my daughter, and my family in general, that I care — and that’s one of the ways I do it.”
Neil is taking part in the PC Eat Together movement, which was launched in 2017 to inspire Canadians to be more intentional about eating meals with friends and family.
“We came across an alarming statistic that a great number of Canadians eat alone, which is one of the leading contributors to unhappiness,” says Cheryl Grishkewich, VP of marketing for President’s Choice at Loblaw Companies Limited. “So we’re encouraging Canadians to lead happier, healthier lives by cherishing the people who are already in front of them — eating together and enjoying each other’s company.”
This year they’ve added a charitable component to encourage people to pledge to #EatTogether by visiting pc.ca/eattogether. For every pledge, President’s Choice will donate $1 to PC Children’s Charity to help children in need eat together with their friends and families.
“The act of eating together is very simple, yet the positive impacts are significant,” says Uwe Stueckmann, senior VP of marketing with Loblaw Companies Limited. “Memories are made, conversations are created with our children, healthier meals are eaten, and we leave the table happier and more connected with the ones we love.”
A recent national survey completed by President’s Choice found that 92 per cent of Canadians would like to spend more time enjoying meals with the important people in their lives — but many are guilty of prioritizing screen time instead.
Neil understands that struggle all too well. She says having a child has changed everything for the better and she and partner Chris Harper now make a point of eating at least one meal together — as a family of three — every day. No phones are allowed at the table while they eat.
She says she’s grown closer to her parents and now regularly joins them for dinner. Though Neil prepares and photographs beautiful dishes for clients and her website, she says gathering for a meal doesn’t require a gourmet menu.
“It doesn’t have to be fancy. It can be as simple as sitting around the table eating spaghetti and meatballs with the people you care about,” says Neil. “You just have to put your phone down, look the people you love in the eye, pay attention and listen to what they say.”
