TV dinners were invented thanks to Thanksgiving leftovers, and 22 other delicious Thanksgiving food facts (2024)

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TV dinners were invented thanks to Thanksgiving leftovers, and 22 other delicious Thanksgiving food facts? ›

In 1953, the Swanson TV dinner company apparently had 260 tons of frozen turkey leftover after Thanksgiving. So they packaged them into trays with peas and potatoes, which evolved into the TV dinners America knows and loves today.

Swanson's created the frozen turkey TV dinner in 1953 as a result of a surplus in buying 260 tons of frozen turkey for Thanksgiving sales that would otherwise spoil. In 1953 only 5,000 packages were sold, but a year later sales reached over 10 million.

According to the most widely accepted account, a Swanson salesman named Gerry Thomas conceived the company's frozen dinners in late 1953 when he saw that the company had 260 tons of frozen turkey left over after Thanksgiving, sitting in ten refrigerated railroad cars.

Initially, the dinners sold for the princely sum of 89 cents each, a bit of a splurge in 1954 (at that price, today each dinner would cost just over eight dollars). Despite that, TV dinners were a clear success – in the year after they came on the market, Swanson sold 25 million of them.

The term TV dinner, which has become common, was first used as part of a brand of packaged meals developed in 1953 by the company C.A. Swanson & Sons (the full name was TV Brand Frozen Dinner). The original TV Dinner came in an aluminum tray and was heated in an oven.

Our desire for convenience in the kitchen has fueled a wave of food innovations, and it all began with the TV dinner. The TV dinner's promise of a hot-and-ready meal in under 25 minutes laid the groundwork for convenience-centric meal options to become the norm today.

The New England colonists were accustomed to regularly celebrating “Thanksgivings,” days of prayer thanking God for blessings such as military victory or the end of a drought. The U.S. Continental Congress proclaimed a national Thanksgiving upon the enactment of the Constitution, for example.

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Betty Cronin (July 12, 1928–December 11, 2016) was an American bacteriologist and co-author of Campbell's Great American Cookbook. Some call her "the mother of TV dinners", though the development of the idea has several claimants. She started her career in 1950 working for the Swanson brothers.

Swanson, one of the pioneers in the industry, introduced the first-ever TV dinner in 1953, featuring a compartmentalized aluminum tray with sections for meat, vegetables, and dessert. This revolutionary concept soon gained popularity, and TV dinners became a convenient choice for busy households.

Can I eat TV dinners? ›

But in general, frozen meals are safe to eat and can be part of a healthy diet. Just be sure to check the nutrition facts label to make sure you're getting a meal that fits your needs.

The data has been calculated by Statista based on the U.S. Census data and Simmons National Consumer Survey (NHCS). According to this statistic, 127.92 million Americans consumed frozen complete (TV) dinners in 2020. This figure is projected to increase to 130.55 million in 2024.

Etymology. from its saving the television viewer from having to interrupt viewing to prepare and serve a meal.

America first called for a national day of thanksgiving to celebrate victory over the British in the Battle of Saratoga. In 1789, George Washington again called for national day of thanks on the last Thursday of November in 1777 to commemorate the end of the Revolutionary War and the ratification of the Constitution.

TIL In 1953, Swanson had 260 tons of frozen turkey leftover after Thanksgiving, so they packaged them into trays with peas and potatoes, and the TV Dinner was born.

Thanksgiving in the United States is a time to gather with family and friends, share a traditional meal and express gratitude for the good things in life. Celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, the U.S. holiday traces its origins to a three-day harvest celebration held in 1621 in what is now Massachusetts.

TV dinners were invented thanks to Thanksgiving leftovers, and 22 other delicious Thanksgiving food facts.