When we think back on the meals we ate as children, some of us do so with a smile on our faces, and others, maybe not so much. After all, not everybody is gifted in the kitchen and it turns out that most people consider themselves to be inadequate when it comes to cooking.
According to SWNS, 2000 parents who have children in school were part of a survey that really shed some light on meal preparation. Some of the questions that were asked showed that only 54% had the time to make proper meals for the kids. Additionally, only 51% of the participants admitted they were getting enough sleep and helping kids with their homework.
Time was often a factor that really kept the parents from shining in the kitchen. 44% said that they didn’t have the time to cook the meals and 54% said they were frustrated over the time it took to put together the ingredients. 62% even said that only one parent typically takes care of the cooking and they were usually the ones that did so.
Cooking a meal for a family is not always something that is easy to do. One interesting question that was asked in the survey is what the parents would give up if they could get meals on the table in under 10 minutes. Some of the things they would give up included a TV show or movie (55%), and their favorite outfit (45%).
Surprisingly, 62% of parents said they would give up their favorite music for a week to get dinner on the table in under 10 minutes.
The survey was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Eckrich. As a food company, Eckrich has some interest in the meals that parents are making for their children, so they wanted to find out what was on parents’ minds.
What they found out is that about 33% of parents send their children off to school with a packed lunch and 23% had the children buy school lunches.
They also discovered that 7 in 10 parents with children who have changing pallets found it challenging to come up with a go-to meal for the family. 36% also said lunch was the most stressful meal to prepare.
As SWNS reports, the senior brand manager for Eckrich at Smithfield Foods said: “Choosing versatile ingredients that can be used in different recipes throughout the week can help simplify meal prep for busy parents.”
Perhaps that would help the 56% who answered they would be happy with a meal that was fast to cook. Another 50% admitted that if the instructions were on the packaging, it would qualify as an easy meal. Other factors that would make an easy meal included something that was premade and something children could eat with their hands.
Undoubtedly, it’s a struggle for parents to keep up with a busy lifestyle and take care of their children. If wise decisions are made and the right options are available, however, things can be a lot easier.