Irish parents have 'quit' packing healthy lunches for their children

New research by Lidl Ireland has lifted the lid on kid’s school lunches to reveal that despite 70% of Irish parents pledging to provide healthier options for their kid’s lunches this academic year, some will quit packing healthy school lunches before the end of September.

The research, conducted by RED C, was commissioned by Lidl Ireland ahead of the back-to-school rush to uncover the attitudes and behaviours of parents towards their children’s eating habits and to identify the struggles parents face when trying to prepare a healthy and nutritious meal for their children.

Of the 81% of Irish parents who attempted to change up their children’s lunch to healthier options in the past, a third of parents (34%) admitted to giving up on their healthy lunchboxes after less than one month, with 1 in 5 parents (20%) lasting just two weeks before quitting the healthy lunch plan.

The main barriers to keeping the lunchbox loaded with healthy snacks were primarily due to children not enjoying the leaner lunch box, with parents citing food not being eaten (47%) as the top challenge whilst, for parents, perceived barriers around the cost of healthy food were seen to be a significant issue for 1 in 10 families.

When looking at the perceived cost of providing healthy school lunches, over half (56%) of Irish parents say they would love to be able to afford to give their kids a healthy lunch but think prices are too high and a third of parents (33%) admit that the cost of healthy ingredients has stopped them from buying healthy items altogether. Unhealthy lunch options are often believed to be cheaper (42%) and a third of parents (35%) admit that they have tried to provide healthy lunch options for their kids but found it too expensive to keep up.

Whilst nearly all Irish parents (97%) agree that it’s important for their child to have healthy food options in the lunchbox, only a quarter of parents (28%) say that they provide healthy lunches for their kids five days a week. Around two thirds (63%) of Irish parents boost their child’s diet through additional supplements, with more than a quarter (28%) admitting they are not confident that their kids are getting all necessary nutrition through diet alone.

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The main challenges faced by parents in providing healthy lunches for their kids were predominantly  due to kids being picky eaters (43%) and the time commitment needed to pack a healthy lunch (30%). Over a third of parents (37%) say there are not enough convenient, healthy options to buy in grocery stores.

When it comes to looking for advice or hints and tips on healthy eating, survey results found that parents rate social media content from experts such as nutritionists or dieticians as the top source for inspiration and information (28%).

Lidl Ireland has teamed up with registered Dietician Orla Walsh to provide top tips to maintain fuelling your kids with healthy snacks, lunches, and dinner options for the upcoming academic year all available in Lidl stores nationwide at prices that won’t break the bank.

Commenting on the research findings, Dietitian Orla Walsh said: “Providing kids with healthy, nutritious food is a priority for every parent but, as this research shows, many Irish parents can find this challenging and difficult to maintain in the long term, with a third of parents falling by the wayside and binning their healthy lunchboxes after less than a month. This research really shows the struggles parents face when it comes to getting their child to eat more healthily but the good news is that there are great, healthy options out there that won’t break the bank and are simple and easy to prepare."

Peeling back the lid of the typical lunchbox, the research shows that Irish parents fill up with fresh fruit (83%), water (75%), yoghurt or a yoghurt drink (63%) a white bread sandwich, roll, wrap or bagel (59%), crackers or rice cakes (58%), cheese slices or strings (42%) or popcorn (26%). Encouragingly, only 4% of parents say they provide fizzy drinks with their child’s lunch and sugary treats are kept to a minimum, with just 4% of parents including jellies or sweets and 12% including a chocolate bar.

Nearly three quarters (71%) of parents say they try to mix up options in their child’s lunch box  but find it hard to come up with interesting or new ideas and a similar number say (66%) say they tend to stick to providing those healthy items that their kids do like rather than trying new alternatives.

“It’s great to see that the most popular items parents choose to put into the school lunch boxes are on the healthier side, but consistency is key. My advice to parents is to work on building a healthier routine over time. Simply substituting one item for a more nutritious alternative can help kids slowly embrace the healthier options and making small changes to the lunch routine can also keep kids engaged with their food."