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“Culinary history is rife with controversy and debate. Ketchup on steak and pineapple on pizza are quaint discussions compared to outright fights over adding salt to the water when boiling pasta or the balance of peanut butter and jam in a sandwich. Foodies now wonder whether a Pop-Tart can be considered a ravioli.”
― Jeff Swystun, TV DINNERS UNBOXED: The Hot History of Frozen Meals

“Food is a macro consideration for our planet and is ultimately intimate and personal to every single person. It nurtures, soothes, fuels, and fulfills. Taste is the physical manifestation of memory making what we eat a nostalgic continuum.”
― Jeff Swystun, TV DINNERS UNBOXED: The Hot History of Frozen Meals

“This is a significant, steadily growing industry representing hundreds of billions of dollars. The popularity of pre-cooked, frozen options that are reheated and ready-to-eat in minutes is not in question. The average American eats more than seventy frozen meals annually and China’s consumption is catching up to the United States.”
― Jeff Swystun, TV DINNERS UNBOXED: The Hot History of Frozen Meals

“If McDonald’s was a fine dining establishment, the chain would have failed years ago because customer surveys routinely return less than fifty percent satisfaction with both the food and service. Ubiquity and familiarity are the chain’s secret sauces. McDonalds survives by operating in thousands of convenient locations. This was once the strategy for the clothing retailer, The Gap and remains important to Starbucks. McDonalds is a real estate company first and a food business second.”
― Jeff Swystun, TV DINNERS UNBOXED: The Hot History of Frozen Meals

“Simply put, if our relationship with food was rational, there would be no obesity. We pursue what feels good and eating certain foods is a biochemical way to reduce stress. Comfort food, such as TV dinners, “are tied to times and places that remind people of safety, joy, warmth and the flavors of childhood.â€� This is why Swanson dinners were re-marketed in 2007 as Swanson Classics proudly proclaiming them as the “Original TV Dinnerâ€� with the slogan “Swanson Classics, Comfort Food Then, Comfort Food Now.”
― Jeff Swystun, TV DINNERS UNBOXED: The Hot History of Frozen Meals

“There is an expectation difference when eating frozen meals. They have long been maligned and ridiculed. Early ones were said to taste metallic or bland or salty or a combination of the three. Their association as a lower-income staple has impacted perceptions. This is why even the most mediocre experience is elevated. The Swanson TV Dinner mostly satisfies but will never be confused with fine dining.”
― Jeff Swystun, TV DINNERS UNBOXED: The Hot History of Frozen Meals

“A Chinese restaurant can survive on a customer base of 700 to 800 people. That is why many towns in North America have at least one. Before Chinese restaurants popped up across North America, frozen food companies introduced people to the cuisine.”
― Jeff Swystun, TV DINNERS UNBOXED: The Hot History of Frozen Meals

“The traditional TV dinner has been portrayed as a dirty secret consumed in isolation. This drove perceptions and created the pathetic stereotype that changed during the pandemic. Forced to eat at home, people tried different options and experienced the changes in quality and variety of frozen meals. The products are now viable options for the one, the few, and the many.”
― Jeff Swystun, TV DINNERS UNBOXED: The Hot History of Frozen Meals

“Top Shelf made bold claims asserting it was, “faster than frozenâ€�. The company hired Dick Cavett, the well-known and trusted television personality, for a series of commercials. These dinners had no preservatives, did not require freezing or refrigeration, heated in two minutes, and could be carried to work in one’s briefcase without spoiling. Cavett earnestly sold this innovation by admitting all sounded too good to be true. To battle consumer skepticism, the company pledged twice the money back if dissatisfied. That may have sealed its fate as Top Shelf and its “faster than frozenâ€� process quickly shut down.”
― Jeff Swystun, TV DINNERS UNBOXED: The Hot History of Frozen Meals

“When the TV dinner debuted, no one was demanding an easy, speedy, and convenient mealtime product but they were quickly embraced. An industry was born overnight, and its story is one of entrepreneurs and innovators who were passionate, driven and as original and eccentric as the product itself. Clarence Birdseye, W.L. Maxson, Betty Cronin, Percy L. Spencer, Jeno Paulucci, and others made it possible.”
― Jeff Swystun, TV DINNERS UNBOXED: The Hot History of Frozen Meals