Eating trends: adapting to kids’ lifestyles

Describes the impact of changing lifestyles on family eating habits: families eat together far less nowadays than they did, and snacking and fast‐food restaurants are more common than they were, especially in the USA and the UK. Outlines the social changes behind these habits, notably the number of working mothers who rely on ready‐prepared meals, especially in young families, plus the larger number of divorces and the increasing amount of technology in the home. Points to research which shows that children who eat with their families tend to eat more fruit and vegetables and less saturated fat, and also had better school and psychological performance; the concern with obesity in particular is making parents and children more aware of the links between diet and health, and manufacturers are responding with new lines like Sainsbury’s Blue Parrot range.