An exploration of the solo dining experience

What is it about?

Commensality, the act of eating together, is commonly associated with many benefits. Dining solo, in contrast, is frequently connected to adverse effects on a person. However, more and more people eat alone these days and social norms and eating patterns have changed. This research highlights that people eating alone only occasionally miss aspects of eating with others but generally enjoy cooking and eating by themselves. In the first phase, relevant literature was analysed to determine positive and negative factors relating to eating together and eating alone. In the second phase, a digital food diary was used to collect insights into the experience of solo diners living in the Netherlands. Six participants took part in the study. Their replies indicate that seven different topics are essential to or contribute to the eating experience. These aspects include: (1) a sense of freedom relating to time and food choice; (2) the solo dining being a moment of relaxation that a quiet food environment can enhance; (3) solo dining being a moment of "me-time" that participants enjoy by themselves; (4) decreased normative pressure relating to the food choice and eating context; (5) pastime activities such as watching TV while cooking and eating; (6) the cooking experience being an essential part of the overall meal experience; (7) aspects of self-nurturing that position the solo dining moment as a moment to treat oneself with nice ingredient. Our research suggests that the solo eating experience can be a standalone experience in itself, and one way we could think about it is as "reverie" in the eating experience.

Featured Image

Photo by Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash

Photo by Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash

Why is it important?

In Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), a focus has been on creating technical applications that aim to recreate the feeling of sharing a meal with others. However, people can also enjoy eating alone and appreciate specific aspects of the solo dining experience, such as the freedom to eat what and where they want. Further studies are required to explore how such aspects can be increased and supported by HCI solutions.