A third of parents eat their kids’ lunchbox rejects for dinner, according to a recent poll.
The survey of 2,000 parents with school-aged children took an in-depth look at the American child’s palate, nutrition and how parents get creative to keep their kids fed.
According to parents, although more than one in five (17%) said their child’s lunch is much more gourmet than they had as a kid, parents estimate that 21% of their child’s lunch comes home uneaten at the end of the day, on average.
And when they’re not eating the leftovers themselves (29%), parents said they’ll offer leftover lunch as an afterschool snack (25%) or put it back in the fridge or pantry (22%). Although 41% admit throwing leftovers away.
Commissioned by NatureSweet and conducted by Talker Research, the survey took a close look at how school lunches have changed over the years.
There’s been quite an evolution according to parents with 43% saying today’s school lunches are healthier than theirs ever were, while over a quarter (28%) said there’s more variety.
Although the classic sandwich (61%), chips (56%) and juice (52%) combo is the most popular lunch for kids these days.
When asked about their kid’s least favorite lunch foods, parents listed snap peas (40%) and green beans (36%), along with tuna salad (36%) and hard-boiled eggs (32%).
But when it comes to kids’ food preferences, parents cited quick foods (50%), fresh foods (38%), foods kids can pack themselves (31%) and non-messy foods (30%) as the biggest factors for what kids like in their lunch.
And parents most prioritize nutrients (54%), taste (45%) and cost (33%) when grocery shopping for their kids.
Originally published by Talker News