Parents spend 432 hours a year feeding their picky kids: Feels like a job in itself

During a school year, parents spend a grand total of 432 hours on meal planning and preparation.That’s according to a recent survey of 2,000 parents with school-aged kids (5-17), in which respondents said they spend 12 hours on food prep and cooking each week.In the study, parents said they’ll devote three hours to meal planning and another three hours grocery shopping every week, on average.They’ll also spend another two hours packing school lunches and four hours cooking during a typical school week, on average.Simply from a time perspective, keeping a family fed is no easy task.

Adding to the difficulty, most parents polled (71%) said their kids are picky eaters.In time for the back-to-school season, the study was conducted by Talker Research on behalf of izzio artisan bakery to examine parents’ pain points and hacks for keeping their kids — and the entire family — well-fed, while managing picky palates and the need for high-quality food.In the study, parents admitted that they typically modify the meals they cook (swapping out sides, leaving certain ingredients out) more than half the time (56%) to make them appealing to their kids.It’s no surprise, then, that most respondents (58%) said it’s difficult to find foods that their entire family enjoys eating.Along with finding foods that please the whole household, the quality of food is also top of mind for parents when grocery shopping these days.

Three-quarters (74%) said they’re more ingredient-conscious than ever when grocery shopping for their families.In light of this, sourdough bread appeared in the survey findings as a satisfying family favorite.When asked about favorite bread types in general, many respondents said that sourdough is their child’s favorite bread (44%), as well as their entire family’s favorite bread (46%).

Additionally, more than half of parents (56%) also said sourdough is their own favorite bread to enjoy.“As any parent knows, keeping a family well-fed can feel ...