How America Lost Dinner 

You will apply SPACECAT and then answer the following questions. 

Comprehension Questions

1. What problem does Amanda Mull use meal-kit services such as Blue Apron and HelloFresh to illustrate at the beginning of the article?

2. According to Mull, what major changes in American work and family life have made cooking and eating dinner together more difficult? Identify at least three.

3. How has the traditional American idea of “family dinner” changed over time? Explain how Mull connects the history of family dinner to expectations about family roles and success.

4. Near the end of the article, Mull argues that Americans have not simply become “lazy or gluttonous.” What does she believe is actually responsible for the decline of cooking and eating together? Use evidence from the article in your response.

Opinion / Discussion Questions

5. Mull argues that “the problem of dinner is far larger than what you’re going to eat.” Do you agree? What do you think the way people eat today reveals about modern American life? Explain.

6. Do you think regularly eating meals with other people is still important, or has the traditional idea of family dinner become outdated? Explain your position using your own experiences, observations, or examples from the article.