NATIONAL TV DINNER DAY

September 9, 2026September 8, 2026Jensperspectiveblog Leave a comment

National TV Dinner Day is observed annually on September 10th. In 1953, C.A. Swanson & Sons changed the prepackaged meal business forever. Introducing the TV Dinner revolutionized frozen food.

In 1962, Swanson stopped using the name TV Dinner. However, in the United States, the term remains synonymous with any prepackaged dinner purchased frozen from a store and heated at home.

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The first Swanson TV Dinner consisted of a Thanksgiving meal of turkey, cornbread dressing, peas, and sweet potatoes. Originally, Swansons made the tray of aluminum. They separated each food item into individual compartments, too. At home, the cook heated the dinner in the oven. The cooking time was usually 25 minutes. Today, nearly all frozen food trays can be cooked in the microwave or a conventional oven.

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When Swanson’s first sold TV dinners, they priced them at 98 cents. In the first year, production estimates reached 5,000 dinners. To their surprise, Swanson far exceeded that amount. In the first year, they sold more than 10 million of them.

TV Dinner Facts

1960 – Swanson added desserts to a new four-compartment tray.
1964 – Night Hawk name originated from the Night Hawk steak houses that operated in Austin, Texas, from 1939 through 1994. The original diners were open all night, catering to the late-night crowd. The restaurants produced the first frozen Night Hawk TV dinner in 1964.
1969 – The first TV breakfasts were marketed. Great Starts Breakfasts and breakfast sandwiches followed later.
1973 – Swanson markets the first Hungry-Man dinners. The meals included larger portions of its regular dinner products.
1986 – Microwave-oven safe trays debut on the market.
1986 – The Smithsonian Institute inducted the original Swanson TV Dinner tray into the Museum of American History.

Much has changed since the original TV Dinner. They also remain a popular choice for a fast and convenient meal, fun to eat in front of the TV!

Looking for something to watch? Check out some of my favorites here.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalTVDinnerDay

Get out a TV dinner, pop it in the microwave or oven, and enjoy! Use #NationalTVDinnerDay to post on social media.

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NATIONAL SANDWICH MONTH

July 31, 2026July 16, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 7 Comments

August is National Sandwich Month. The basic concept of the sandwich long predates the Earl of Sandwich, the real-life 18th-century aristocrat who reportedly loved them, and gave them their modern name. The ancient Jewish sage Hillel the Elder is said to have wrapped lamb-meat and bitter herbs between two pieces of matzoh (unleavened bread) during Passover. Early versions of the “wrap” have also been found in Asia and Africa. The sandwich grew in popularity among aristocrats in the 18th and 19th centuries. Legend has it they were popularly shared, held with one hand, during late-night gaming and drinking.

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According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a sandwich must have at least 35% cooked meat and be no more than 50% bread. The average American child eats about 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before finishing high school. Astronaut John Young once smuggled a corned beef sandwich on board a Gemini flight. Submarine sandwiches are called “hoagies” in Philadelphia and “heroes” in New York. The Dagwood sandwich was first introduced by Chic Young, creator of the Blondie strip, who described the sandwich as a “mountainous pile of dissimilar leftovers.”

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SANDWICH HACKS: HOW TO ENJOY NATIONAL SANDWICH MONTH

When making a BLT, weave the bacon together to avoid the bacon from falling out when you bite into it.
Worried about “fridge thieves” sealing your sandwich at the office? Get a Moldy Sandwich Bag. The bag isn’t really moldy; it only gives the appearance your lunch looks moldy and spoiled.
Instead of bread or toast, make your breakfast sandwiches with waffles.
Turn your freshly-baked bread over and slice it on the soft side. That helps prevent squishing the bread.

HISTORY

In 1952, the Wheat Flour Institute established August as National Sandwich Month. Newspapers across the country filled their pages with recipes fit for the Earl of Sandwich and picnics alike. The annual observance continues today.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Try a new sandwich recipe every week and share them on social media! Get some of our family favorites from our recipes page. Wraps, Panninis, and family dinners can be found here. Use #NationalSandwichMonth to post your creations.

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NATIONAL JUNK FOOD DAY

July 21, 2026July 21, 2026Jensperspectiveblog Leave a comment

July 21st dedicates a giant menu of items to National Junk Food Day. Each year, the day permits us to chow down on the foods we usually don’t include in our daily diet. Junk foods, by definition, typically contain high fats, sugars, salt, and calories and very little nutritional value.

With the advent of packaged foods during the late 1800s, junk food made its way into American life. Still, home-cooked meals remained the standard for several more decades. Eventually, after World War II, the artery-clogging industry took off. Since the population ate out more, traveled more, the industry was primed to produce products at an increased rate.

From the frozen food aisle to fast food chains, a myriad of choices for consumers flooded the market. Potato chips, baked goods and so much more filled supermarket shelves, prepackaged and ready to go.

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By the 1970s, junk foods earned a name and a bad one, too. Michael Jacobson, a microbiologist, is credited with coining the phrase. He also set out to curb our appetite for the high sugar, high salt, high preservative foods Americans consumed at an alarming rate.

While deep-fried, fat-laced foods increase our waistlines, cholesterol, and blood sugar numbers, an occasional indulgence shouldn’t impact a healthy, diverse diet and lifestyle. Also, producers make healthy versions of our favorite junk foods to entice us to enjoy a little.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalJunkFoodDay

Snack a little. Chow down on your favorite chip, dip or treat. In fact, treat the family or workplace to a beverage or take out. Post on social media using #NationalJunkFoodDay. You can also celebrate by taking a walk or doing some yard work to burn off those extra calories.

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WORLD BAKING DAY

May 16, 2026May 6, 2026Jensperspectiveblog Leave a comment

Every third Sunday in May, World Baking Day inspires people to bake for their loved ones, friends, and neighbors. These bakers are also encouraged to give their baked goods away as a token of gratitude and appreciation.

People have been baking for thousands of years. In fact, the world’s oldest oven is over 6,500 years old! Bread baking goes all the way back to 600 BC in Ancient Greece. The Egyptians were the first to use yeast when baking bread. Besides bread, cakes were also a popular food to bake. The word “cake” dates back to the 13th century. The earliest cakes were more bread-like. Bakers added sugar or honey to add sweetness.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, baking was transformed by globalization. There was an abundance of syrups, spices, and currants, which made baked goods taste even more delicious. Bready dough with butter, cream, and raisins were especially popular. By the late 17th century, sugar was less expensive. As a result, people began making mince pies with sugar and spices. Eventually, other ingredients like eggs, flour, and baking powder were used more and more.

Today baked goods are popular all over the world. Some favorites include apple pie, black forest cake, baklava, cannoli, Yorkshire pudding, rye bread, brownies, and pretzels.

WORLD BAKING DAY HISTORY

Since 2012, World Baking Day has been observed on the third Sunday in May. The original intent of the day was to make and give away a homemade cake. The day has since evolved into baking and giving away all kinds of baked goods. Our team is still researching who came up with this special food day.

HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldBakingDay

The best way to observe this day is to bake some goodies for a friend, neighbor or loved one. They will be surprised and delighted to receive such a wonderful and delicious gift. This day is also a great day to teach your kids to bake. Go ahead and try to bake something you’ve never made before. Or host a cake decorating contest. No matter what you choose to bake, be sure to share your goodies with others. Take a photo of your creation and post it on social media with #WorldBakingDay.

NATIONAL CROUTON DAY

May 12, 2026May 6, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 4 Comments

National Crouton Day on May 13th each year recognizes a tasty topping that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Many of our words for bread-related foods come from the French and for good reason. The French love bread. Croutons are no different. The French word croûte means crust. Croutons are often made from day-old bread which has been cut into cubes and seasoned with herbs, oil, or butter. The bread is then either toasted in the oven or tossed in a hot pan until crunchy.

We’re probably most familiar with croutons on our salads. And when we add croutons to our salads, it’s a bit of celebration – a crunch celebration. Each flavorful, crunchy bite adds to our crispy, enjoyment.

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NATIONAL CROUTON DAY HISTORY

Rothbury Farms® founded National Crouton Day in February 2015. Established in 1923, Rothbury Farms is a fourth-generation, family-owned business where consumer value means using the highest quality goods to produce the very best products. At Rothbury Farms croutons are their passion. Rothbury Farms Croutons are made from fresh bread toasted to just the right crispness and then seasoned with a select blend of herbs, spices, and cheeses. Rothbury Farms Croutons are a versatile food and complement any time of the day from breakfast to lunch, to dinner, to snack time and are perfect for breakfast casseroles, bread puddings, salads, soups, stuffing, dinner casseroles, appetizers and also as snacks.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalCroutonDay

Celebrate the day by topping your dish with seasoned croutons. Be sure to also share your crouton creations by using #NationalCroutonDay on Social Media.

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TV Dinner Facts

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalTVDinnerDay

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalJunkFoodDay

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WORLD BAKING DAY HISTORY

HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldBakingDay

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NATIONAL CROUTON DAY HISTORY

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalCroutonDay

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