Family dinners are a good time to teach the kids to eat healthy
Whilst many of us have busy lives, it is important to maintain a healthy diet, and to show children the importance of eating a balanced diet supplemented with exercise."
There are numerous things that are widely acknowledged to influence eating habits for adults, ranging from health concerns and allergies to the latest fad diet, but new findings from Opinium Research show that various aspects of growing up affects our eating behaviour later in life.
Jamie Oliver’s ‘school dinners’ campaign may have been more beneficial if targeted in the home, as Opinium Research found that four in five adults believe their immediate family, when thinking back to when they were growing up, influences their current eating habits. family was found to have a larger influence than school, which only affects the adult eating behaviour of two in five adults, and even advertising.
Some of the most common instructions children were told at mealtimes include:
- Don’t waste food as it costs money
- Finish your meals as children are starving in other countries
- Eat all your vegetables
Kate Norfolk, head of healthcare research at Opinium, said: “It is interesting to see that your childhood can affect attitudes to eating when you are all grown up. Whilst many of us have busy lives, it is important to maintain a healthy diet, and to show children the importance of eating a balanced diet supplemented with exercise. This doesn’t mean that you can’t treat yourself every once in a while but the key is moderation!”
FemaleFirst @FemaleFirst_UK