Key Takeaways:

• Examines how American eating patterns were reshaped between the late 19th century and early 20th century by processed foods, brand advertising, and industrial bread, cereal, and canned goods.
• Shows how home economists, nutrition experts, and marketers redefined what counted as a proper, modern meal—often in ways that favored convenience over tradition.
• Highlights enduring tensions between scratch cooking and packaged foods, setting the historical stage for later health-food and slow-food reactions.