Three Squares: Mealtime in America
At Broad Channel–dinner. Bain Collection, Library of Congress.
Three square meals a day. Three to five servings of fruits and vegetables, two to three servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese. Avoid fats and sugar. Red meat in moderation…
But eating isn’t simply about achieving the perfect nutritional balance. It also has profound social implications, especially when we sit down with others to share a meal. And so in this episode, the History Guys recover from their Thanksgiving feasts with a look back at the history of mealtime in America. From Victorian table manners to the school lunch program, how have our ideas about what, when, and how we eat our meals evolved?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Guests Include:
- John Kasson, Professor of History and American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Trudy Eden, Professor of History at the University of Northern Iowa
- Susan Levine, Professor of History at the University of Illinois at Chicago
- Abigail Van Slyck, Professor of Art History & Associate Dean of the Faculty at Connecticut College
Further Exploration:
Check out a list of outside sources compiled by the BackStory team for more info about the history of mealtime in America, and consult a bibliography of works used in the making of this episode.
Listen to individual show segments.
Even Further:
Read the listener discussion that helped shape this show.
Listen to our previous show exploring the history of the Thanksgiving holiday.
I am 51, and my mom grew up in KS. My grandmother was an okay cook, but as she got older, she got more indifferent (being a farmer’s wife & cooking for 30+ field hands during harvest season probably took the joy out of her cooking). She made great fudge, but I know I also remember green jello w/ cheddar cheese at a few special meals. I’m not sure if it was her contribution, or another of the local housewives, but I’m sure it turned up at church socials, or birthday parties. Another dish I dreaded was 3 bean casserole. Blech.
QuoteWhat is the song used as the interlude at 13:00 and again at 13:54?
(First started listening to this show with Civil War Specials. Now I am regular listener. Thanks for doing such a consistent and excellent job)
Thanks!
QuoteWhat is that song with lyrics about the girl being like fondue? Who does it?
QuoteThe discussion of how we changed from big lunches and small suppers to small lunches and making the evening meal the big one focussed on worklife changes.
I wonder if culture needs to be examined as well. In France, which went through the same worklife changes, the tradition continued – at least until recently – for big lunches, and small suppers, often of soup, cheese and bread, maybe salad.
QuoteIt’s the English folk band “Prelude”
Quotehttp://www.preludemusic.co.uk
What is that song with lyrics about the girl being like fondue? Who does it?
It’s the English folk band “Prelude”
-Excellent! Thank You!
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