Sunday lunch comes off the menu

by | Mar 8, 2013

I’m working with Change4life to help get us eating better and moving more. Today I was on Sky breakfast news talking about the latest survey of 2000 mums around the challenges of cooking from scratch. The story is also in the Metro, Daily Mail online, Express and more.

Time and confidence are the main barriers that mums report when it comes to preparing meals for their families:

  • Over half (51%) of those surveyed said the reason they don’t cook more often is because it is too time consuming;
  • Almost a quarter of mums (24%) said they don’t cook from scratch more because they don’t know how to; and
  • Almost three quarters (71%) said they eat convenience foods instead of cooking from scratch because they are quicker to prepare. 

The survey was commissioned for Change4Life’s Be Food Smart healthy eating campaign, which aims to lift the lid on the hidden nasties – salt, sugar and saturated fat – found in many popular foods, particularly convenience meals.

It’s understandable that over time eating habits change and that the time-pushed mums of today aren’t necessarily going to approach cooking family dinners in the way their own mothers once did. However, many take-aways and processed foods can contain high levels of salt, sugar and saturated fat, so shoppers needed to be encouraged to buy healthier options whist still taking short-cuts to fit in with demands on their time. 

Although there are many modern trends that make life easier, we could all benefit from remembering how our own mothers cooked and prepared meals from scratch, which would help us all eat a little healthier. Making quick meals yourself using easy-to-hand ingredients helps you to be more aware of what’s going into your food and helps ensure you and your family avoid any hidden nasties.

For ideas from Be Food Smart for quick and healthier meals to cook at home, visit Change4Life and sign up to receive a free Meal Mixer tool. You’ll get ideas on simple family meals for under a fiver.

 

 

 

 

 

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