SUNDAY LUNCH OFF THE MENU
The traditional Sunday lunch is no longer a feature of modern family life, as just two in five mums say that they prepare and eat a meal together with their family on Sundays.
And the trend for cooking less frequently and increasingly relying on take-aways and processed foods is something that is being reflected throughout the week, according to new research.
Just 16% of mums reported cooking a meal from scratch for their families every day and nearly all mums surveyed (96%) admitted to using pre-prepared foods (such as chicken nuggets or pizza) in meals for their family – only 90 out of 2,000 mums say that their family never eats such foods.
The findings, released by government healthy living campaign Change4Life, show that today’s time-pressed mums serve their family pre-prepared foods for meals around twice a week, and over a third of families (36%) also eat out or have a take-away once a week. Time and confidence are the main barriers that mums report when it comes to preparing meals for their families:
Almost three quarters (71%) said they eat convenience foods instead of cooking from scratch because they are quicker to prepare;
Almost a quarter of mums (24%) said they don’t cook from scratch more because they don’t know how to or lack confidence and ideas; and
Over half (51%) of those surveyed said the reason they don’t cook more often is because it is too time consuming.
The survey was commissioned for Change4Life’s Be Food Smart healthy eating campaign, which aims to lift the lid on the surprising amount of hidden nasties – salt, sugar and saturated fat – found in many popular foods, particularly convenience meals.
Dietitian Azmina Govindji said: “It’s understandable that over time eating habits change and that the time-pushed mums of today aren’t necessarily going to approach cooking family dinners in the way their own mothers once did. However, many take-aways and processed foods can contain high levels of salt, sugar and saturated fat, so shoppers need to be encouraged to buy healthier options and shown how, even with demands on their time, they can make meals for their families. Although there are many modern trends that make life easier, we could all benefit from remembering how our own mothers cooked and prepared meals from scratch, which would help us all eat a little healthier. Making quick meals yourself using easy-to-hand ingredients helps you to be more aware of what’s going into your food and helps ensure you and your family avoid any hidden nasties.”
For ideas from Be Food Smart for quick and healthier meals to cook at home, visit the Change4Life website (www.change4life.icnetwork.co.uk) and sign up to receive a free Meal Mixer recipe flip book.
And the trend for cooking less frequently and increasingly relying on take-aways and processed foods is something that is being reflected throughout the week, according to new research.
Just 16% of mums reported cooking a meal from scratch for their families every day and nearly all mums surveyed (96%) admitted to using pre-prepared foods (such as chicken nuggets or pizza) in meals for their family – only 90 out of 2,000 mums say that their family never eats such foods.
The findings, released by government healthy living campaign Change4Life, show that today’s time-pressed mums serve their family pre-prepared foods for meals around twice a week, and over a third of families (36%) also eat out or have a take-away once a week. Time and confidence are the main barriers that mums report when it comes to preparing meals for their families:
Almost three quarters (71%) said they eat convenience foods instead of cooking from scratch because they are quicker to prepare;
Almost a quarter of mums (24%) said they don’t cook from scratch more because they don’t know how to or lack confidence and ideas; and
Over half (51%) of those surveyed said the reason they don’t cook more often is because it is too time consuming.
The survey was commissioned for Change4Life’s Be Food Smart healthy eating campaign, which aims to lift the lid on the surprising amount of hidden nasties – salt, sugar and saturated fat – found in many popular foods, particularly convenience meals.
Dietitian Azmina Govindji said: “It’s understandable that over time eating habits change and that the time-pushed mums of today aren’t necessarily going to approach cooking family dinners in the way their own mothers once did. However, many take-aways and processed foods can contain high levels of salt, sugar and saturated fat, so shoppers need to be encouraged to buy healthier options and shown how, even with demands on their time, they can make meals for their families. Although there are many modern trends that make life easier, we could all benefit from remembering how our own mothers cooked and prepared meals from scratch, which would help us all eat a little healthier. Making quick meals yourself using easy-to-hand ingredients helps you to be more aware of what’s going into your food and helps ensure you and your family avoid any hidden nasties.”
For ideas from Be Food Smart for quick and healthier meals to cook at home, visit the Change4Life website (www.change4life.icnetwork.co.uk) and sign up to receive a free Meal Mixer recipe flip book.