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Feb 8, 2023 · The nation’s first frozen dinner was dubbed “TV dinner” by Gilbert Swanson, chairman of the board of the family’s poultry business, C. A. Swanson & Sons. One night at a party, Swanson and a few guests watched Ted Mack’s “Family Hour,” sponsored by the company, while other guests made merry.
Mar 9, 2023 · But sadly — or happily, depending on your perspective — Swanson's part in modern, frozen cuisine is but a fraction of what it once was. Today the Hungry-Man line of frozen meals is the only thing left of the original Swanson TV dinners, and the name doesn't even appear on the packaging anymore.
With over half of American households owning televisions by the 1950s, the Swanson brothers called their frozen meals "TV dinners," suitable for eating on a folding tray in one's living room while watching television. TV dinner brand A Swanson "Hungry-Man Country Fried Chicken" TV dinner
In 1973, TV dinners got supersized when the Campbell Soup Company (Swanson's parent company) introduced Hungry-Man, extra-large frozen meals targeted toward, well, hungry men. A glance into the freezers at your local supermarket is all you need to know that today's frozen entrees are distant cousins to the turkey TV dinners of the 1950s.
- Maria Trimarchi
- Often they're packed with sodium and processed ingredients, making them fairly unhealthy. But there are so many options these days, including calor...
- TV dinners were named because the trays are easy to carry with you to the living room to eat in front of the television. Widely-known brand Swanson...
- The first Thanksgiving, Swanson sold more than 25 million TV dinners to Americans, at 98 cents per package.
- The original TV dinner was created and marketed in 1954 by two brothers, Gilbert C. and W. Clarke Swanson, who aptly named the meal "Swanson's TV D...
- The Swanson brothers popularized the TV dinner but Clarence Birdseye invented frozen meals. Birdseye invented a method of flash-freezing food in 19...
Sep 5, 2019 · A look back at the frozen TV dinners that were popular decades ago — like Swanson's Hunry-Man line and the kid-friendly Libbyland meals.
- Sarah Weinberg
- Deputy Editor
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Plus, in 1973, Swanson unveiled its first Hungry-Man meals, which came in larger portions than traditional TV dinners. For more frozen food favorites, please sign up for our free newsletters.
4 of 17. 1954: Swanson frozen meals. Image Source for Getty Images. The demand for easy, hearty, frozen dinners was plain to see, and in 1954 the Swanson brand took advantage by...
