Dream Dinners Franchise Reviews 10 Surprising Facts about Kids' Eating Habits

Dream Dinners Franchise Reviews 10 Surprising Facts about Children’s Eating Habits Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in America. A large reason for this mounting issue is due to poor childhood eating habits and decreasing levels of physical activity. Just how alarmed should we be about these poor eating habits we’re instilling in our children, perhaps accidentally? You can see for yourself as Dream Dinners franchise reviews 10 surprising childhood eating facts:

1. Snacks account for 27 percent of a 2 to 18 year olds’ daily caloric intake, with most children in this age range consuming three snacks per day.

2. Each day, the average child consumes 16 percent of his or her caloric intake from sugary beverages.

3. Nearly 2/3 of children ages 1 to 12 eat out at a restaurant one to three times each week.

4. The majority of kids don’t consume the suggested amount of fruits and vegetables each day.

5. The CDC recommends for children to eat two to three ounces of whole grains each day, and the majority of children’s don’t meet this recommendation.

Childhood Eating Statistics (Part 1)

6. The average child consumes 40 percent of his or her daily intake from foods that are made of empty calories, such as fruity drinks, soda, dairy desserts and pizza.

7. Adolescents consume a greater quantity of full-calorie soda than the amount of milk they drink.

8. About 33 percent of children don’t eat breakfast on a daily basis.

9. 25 percent of toddlers don't eat a single serving of fruit each day and 30 percent don’t eat a single serving of vegetables.

10. The fast-food industry spends $660 million each year marketing and advertising to children and teenagers.

Childhood Eating Statistics (Part 2)

Eating habits are formed in a child as soon as they are born and can be shaped throughout his or her life with the right influences. Depending on how old the child is, different steps can and should be taken. From the time a child is born mothers and fathers should educate themselves on the proper nutrition of children. Knowing how many fruits, vegetables and grains a child should consumer according to his or her age is vital for parents to know to ensure that they are properly feeding their children. Once a child is old enough to understand nutrition and the health benefits of eating a balanced diet, then parents can begin to start a conversation within their family about healthy eating habits.

Can We Change These Habits?

However, what most parents don’t know is that one of the easiest ways for parents to shape their kids eating habits is through providing regular, in-home family dinners. Studies show that children who consume at least 5 dinners together with their family each week have healthier eating habits, such as eating more vegetables and fruits and consuming less soda and fried foods. These children are also less likely to develop an eating disorder or partake in risky behavior such as trying alcohol or marijuana. Similarly, children who participate in meal preparation with their mother or father tend to have better eating habits than those who don’t. These kids are involved in meal preparation tend to consume a greater intake of fruits, vegetables and dietary fiber and are more willing to try new foods.

Can We Change These Habits?

These alarming childhood eating habit trends can be overturned simply by sitting down for a family meal five nights per week or bringing your children into the kitchen with you to assist with meal preparation.

Meal preparation franchises, such as Dream Dinners franchise, understand that in our fast-paced society, some mothers and fathers just don’t have the time or skills needed to prepare a home-cooked meal each night. Dream Dinners franchisees aim to solve this problem by providing a location where busy mothers and fathers can go to prepare up to a month’s worth of meals and bring home to freeze for easy access at a later date. By utilizing Dream Dinners, mothers and fathers can help to shape their children’s eating habits by eating regular in home meals without the stress of shopping, preparing, cooking and cleaning up a meal each night. Just take a Dream Dinners meal out of your freezer and sit down with your family to enjoy!

How Can a Meal Preparation Franchise Help?

For more information about how you can bring a Dream Dinners franchise location to your community and to help shape the health of your community’s children and families, visit the Dream Dinners franchise information page today.

Bring a Dream Dinners Franchise to Your Community