Nearly half of kids say Italian staple food is best – better than fish & chips
PIZZA is so popular among children that almost half of them named it as their favorite.
A survey of 1,000 parents of six to sixteen year-olds revealed which meals are the most popular: 44 percent said their child prefers the Italian classic.
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But the number of people opting for a burger and fries, which comes second on the list, drops significantly to 28 percent, along with chicken nuggets (28 percent) and fish and chips (26 percent).
Curry, fajita wraps, Frankfurter hot dogs and cheese on toast were also among the top 20.
It also emerged that 69 percent of parents think their children would like to eat the same food if they could.
Gemma Serdet from Frankfurt brand Herta, which commissioned the research and developed a ‘dinner spinner’ to provide parents with meal suggestions, said: “There will always be a dish that will hit the spot, and your little one will be delighted with it no matter what.
“Our research shows that classic meals are popular with children, but that this often makes it difficult to vary them.
“It can also be a challenge when you have multiple family members to please. You have to be creative to find something that everyone likes.
The research also found that 78 percent of moms and dads enjoy cooking for their kids, especially when they know it’s their favorite dish (41 percent) and when it’s a quick and easy meal to make (37 percent).
Although four out of ten regularly serve the same dish several times a week.
A third of them claim it is easier when they are busy and 30 percent serve meals multiple times a day because they know they will waste less and still eat the food.
But 71 percent see their child refuse a meal almost every week, and one in ten experiences this four or more times during that period.
The result is that 78 percent of respondents cook double meals an average of three times a week to please everyone in the family.
The research, conducted through OnePoll, also found that 48 percent emphasise the importance of not wasting food at home due to the high cost of living.
21 percent choose cheaper ingredients to avoid feeling like they are wasting money if their child doesn’t like a dish.
But 73 percent have trouble getting their children to eat and they argue with each other an average of five times a week.
Kids’ 20 Favorite Meals, According to Their Parents:
1. Pizza (44 percent)
2. Burgers and chips (28 percent)
3. Chicken nuggets and chips (28 percent)
4. Fish and chips (26 percent)
5. Spaghetti Bolognese (24 percent)
6. Roast dinner (24 percent)
7. Macaroni and cheese (19 percent)
8. Fish fingers and chips (16 percent)
9. Sausage and chips (15 percent)
10. Spaghetti and meatballs (15 percent)
11. Sausage and mashed potatoes (14 percent)
12. Hot dog with a frankfurter sausage (14 percent)
13. Curry (13 percent)
14. Fajita wraps (13 percent)
15. Lasagna (12 percent)
16. Baked potato with baked beans and cheese (10 percent)
17. Chicken pasta casserole (10 percent)
18. Cheese on toast (10 percent)
19. Pesto Pasta (9 Percent)
20. Beef stew (8 percent)
It also emerged that 55 percent described their child as a ‘fussy eater’, and 43 percent struggled to find snacks and meals when out and about with their child.
41 percent find it difficult to get their child to eat enough fruit and vegetables per day, and 24 percent find it difficult to get their child to eat protein-rich foods.
Gemma Serdet added: “For many families, mealtimes are one of the few times when everyone comes together and shares the news of the day.
“That’s why we want to help parents prepare tasty dishes that the whole family will enjoy in a fun and easy way. We also want to come up with creative ways to make popular dishes a little more exciting.”
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