New research from the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) into the children’s food market, launched today [Wednesday], explores what the food shoppers of the future think about food.
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The research showed that, contrary to popular belief, parents still hold the power when it comes to influencing their child’s choice of food. Nine out of ten children cite parents as their main source of information about healthy eating, while many children also said they would ask their teachers if they wanted to find out whether a food was healthy.
When it comes to motivating children to try a new healthy food, 65% said that including a free toy or game would have the most effect, with boys more likely than girls to respond to this. Other motivators included foods offering some intrinsic entertainment value – “I like celery because you can peel it like cheese straws” – or those that helped them feel grown up.
The initial results of the IGD’s research indicate the patterns being formed for adult behaviour. Like many adults, the children who took part in the survey tended to see eating fruit and vegetables as a trade-off for eating foods they did not perceive to be healthy, rather than as a tasty food option in their own right. All of the children were reported to have a general idea of what healthy foods were, and that a person’s weight is not the only indicator of their state of health.
Angela Groves, Consumer Analyst at IGD, said “Our findings suggest that stimulating initial interest and curiosity about food is imperative in creating and sustaining a child’s interest in cooking and healthy eating. This could be done through the ingredients used, or in how the final meal turns out. The current trend amongst adults of distinguishing between cooking as an everyday chore and for weekend entertainment seems set to continue as these children grow up. Today’s kids may not want to know how to boil an egg but they love cooking a curry with dad. There is a huge opportunity for industry to help parents by creating “cookery kits” for children, just as they have for adults with meal solutions.”
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By GlobalDataPlease note: just-food.com will shortly be publishing a feature on this report, so watch this space. In the meantime, please direct all enquiries to www.igd.com or email publications@igd.com.
