Breakfast in bed? Casual Britons enjoy duvet dinners

ONE in ten Britons regularly eats dinner in bed, according to a new survey.

Meanwhile, almost a third of us (30 per cent) never dine at a table while at home, preferring the sofa for our breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The research, by cleaning experts Bissell, found 20 per cent spend mealtimes surfing social media channels.

Eating alone (50 per cent), feeling tired and hungover (41 per cent) or just being plain lazy (30 per cent) are the top reasons we can’t be bothered with the dining table.

But there are drawbacks. Almost half (42 per cent) say they don’t appreciate their food as much if they are distracted by their TV, tablet or phone.

And the study found 21 per cent of us have ruined sofas, bed linen and soft furnishings with food stains, in particular curry and red wine.

Clinical psychologist Angharad Rudkin believes that time at the dinner table is a valuable part of family life.

She said: ‘Family lives are busy and it is tempting to make dinner times a relaxing “zoning out” time on the sofa but making the time and effort to eat together without distraction a few times a week can help everyone feel more connected, appreciated and healthier.

‘Children and adults benefit from sociable meal times around the dinner table, with adolescents in particular showing higher wellbeing when they regularly eat with their family.’