If you’re like most American parents, gone are the days of elaborately prepared meals served around picturesque dining tables. While this failed image of domesticity may be more real than our Instagram feeds suggest, Signal Theory FoodThink uncovered three key factors contributing to parents’ struggle to live healthier lifestyles.
The biggest culprits to failed good intentions are:
- Limited time.
- Lack of know-how in the kitchen.
- Poor taste of healthy foods.
These obstacles specifically keep parents from reaching the pinnacle of healthier lifestyles.
One of the most surprising factors FoodThink uncovered is that one-quarter of parents say, “I don’t know how to prepare a healthy meal,” up 32% since 2014.
“More than 60% of parents rate their cooking skills as good or excellent, so it’s not necessarily that they don’t know how to cook,” said FoodThink researcher Christy Niebaum. “It may be that they don’t have healthy recipes in their routine or are less familiar with healthier cooking methods, like grilling or steaming.”
This rising lack of know-how, combined with a lack of time and perceived poor taste of healthy foods, is the perfect recipe for the dashed dreams of healthier lifestyles.
So how can food marketers help parents achieve a healthy family dining experience? Parents are seeking solutions to return to a simpler semblance of domestication. Signal Theory FoodThink suggests providing options that are convenient and healthy.
Interested in learning more about family wellness and how it can help your marketing efforts? Download the latest white paper, The Parent Trap: How Parental Time Constraints Prevent Healthy Lifestyles.
