National TV Dinner Day: History, Quotes About Frozen Meals

When pressed for time, people usually opt for ready-made meals, which they can enjoy in no time. They may not be as good as homecooked meals, but these frozen prepacked meals, also known as TV dinners, are considered lifesavers by many.

Interestingly, there's an unofficial holiday that's dedicated to celebrating the importance of such frozen meals, which keep us full despite our busy lives. It is called National TV Dinner Day and is observed on Sept. 10 every year.

The term "TV dinner" was coined by CA Swanson & Sons, a food delivery business based in Omaha, Nebraska. It was first used as an umbrella term for frozen meals that consist of meat, veggies and sometimes, even desserts. In fact, it was this company that revolutionized the frozen food business in 1953.

The forefathers of the TV dinners were the tray-style macaroni and cheese. The packaging got multiple makeovers in the years that followed, with its contents changing based on the preferences of people.

However, the exact year when TV Dinner was invented remains a mystery. And though The American Frozen Food Institute has recognized CA Swanson & Sons as the inventor of TV Dinners, Maxson Food Systems Inc. is known to have created the first frozen meal, dubbed "Strato-Plates," which were predominantly served as in-flight meals.

Now, one can choose from a wide variety of TV dinner options, with many of them healthier than ever. Rest assured that they can be easily cooked in a microwave or a conventional oven.

Here are some quotes about the well-loved frozen meals, which we can all celebrate on National TV Dinner Day and beyond. (Courtesy: Quote Stats, Brainy Quote and Quotes)

• "The four food groups of bachelorhood: Frozen, Cold Cuts, Breakfast Cereal, and Takeout." - Garth Risk Hallberg
• "Who bothers to cook TV dinners? I suck them frozen." - Woody Allen
• "I remember debating the finer points of flaky pastry with my chicken-pot-pie-obsessed American dad. I remember the divine mix of Thai food, TV dinners, and hearty, homemade goodness that have shaped this palate of mine to this day. I remember all this, but I still Google my husband's birthday. Thank God he's famous." - Chrissy Teigen
• "If it weren't for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we'd still be eating frozen radio dinners." - Johnny Carson
• "Now I know what a TV dinner feels like." - Bruce Willis as John McClane in "Die Hard"