Hands up if you’ve ever lied about what you fed your children for dinner. If you answered yes, you’re not alone. New research shows almost one in five parents admit to lying about what they feed the kids.
In a poll conducted by YouGov for The Huffington Post UK, 43 per cent of parents reveal they feel under pressure to cook healthily for their children and almost 40 per cent feel pressured to make more adventurous food choices.
In fact, one in 10 parents fib about what they’re dishing up at dinner time because they know the meals they make should be healthier, the survey shows.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver says the results show a lot more needs to be done to inspire parents to cook better food for their children.
“The fact that 18 per cent of parents admit to telling fibs about what they feed their children suggests that there are many parents who know they should be cooking more nutritious meals but, for whatever reason, feel that they can’t,” Jamie says.
“More concerning still, is that only 21 per cent of parents are cooking from scratch every day, which means that the majority of kids are still eating processed food. When you read figures like this, it’s hardly a surprise. I believe it’s a parent or guardian’s duty to help teach their kids about food.”
Those surveyed blamed lack of time and the ever-changing cost of food for preventing them from serving a healthier option for dinner. Add to that the growing popularity of convenient take-away outlets.
Babyology recently reported on a study of Australian preschoolers that found repeatedly offering good food that mum and dad also eat is key to creating healthy food habits in children. We have also compiled a top five list of ways to give your family’s diet a healthy twist.
(via Huffington Post)
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