Back To The Table 2008 Press Release
Stockpots and Shopping Lists: How the New Thrift is making family mealtimes healthier
Penny-watching parents are returning to the thrifty ways of their mothers in response to the current squeeze on family budgets, and improving their family’s diet as a result.
A new survey of 2633 parents by the influential parenting website Raisingkids.co.uk reveals that mums and dads are changing their shopping and cooking habits as a result of the credit crunch. 59% of the parents surveyed as part of this year’s Back To The Table Week said their shopping habits had changed and 42% said they’d altered their cooking habits as well.
Savvy Shoppers spend less but eat better
The good news is that the weekly family shop is now likely to be healthier. Almost a third of the parents surveyed said they bought less sweets or snacks as a result of the credit crunch. The biggest difference the survey showed was a move away from expensive products – 42% of parents said they now bought more own-brand or ‘Value’ products. 41% said they compared prices more while 22% made weekly meal plans before they went shopping. Interestingly, one recurring tip from the penny-saving parents was to shop online where they were less likely to be tempted from their shopping list.
The One Pot Plan
From using lentils or oats to bulk out soups and stews to cooking with cheaper cuts of meat, parents are rediscovering ways to make their weekly pot go further. 23% said they were now using up more leftovers, while almost one in three said they cooked all their family meals from scratch. “Always make more than you need,’ said one parent. ‘That way you always have something to hand if the kids bring friends home for tea and you can freeze the rest as homemade ‘ready meals’.”
Year on year, the single biggest change of all the parents surveyed was in the amount of times they ate out as a family. Last year, 72% of the families surveyed said they ate out once or twice a month. This year the figure dropped to just 37%.
Jamie Oliver’s the family chef of choice
Even before his Ministry of Food programme aired, Jamie Oliver’s influence as a family chef had grown year-on-year. When asked what cookery books they most used at home, more parents picked a Jamie Oliver title than that of any other chef. Last year 35% of the parents surveyed said that Oliver was their main inspiration when it came to cooking for their family. This year, we asked which TV chef most understood the issues parents face when cooking for their families - 46% choose the cheeky chap from Essex.
Dr Pat Spungin, child psychologist and founder of Raisingkids.co.uk which runs the Back To The Table campaign comments: “All of us have to tighten our belts as the economy slows, but interestingly what the survey shows is there are positive outcomes from the credit crunch. Families are eating healthier with fewer sweets and snacks and fewer processed, ready-made meals. With all the bad news we’re hearing about the economy, it’s heartening to find that it’s not all doom and gloom and that there’s an unexpected upside for families.”
Back to the Table Week 6-12 October 2008
Notes to Editors:
The 2008 Back to the Table survey was carried out on www.raisingkids.co.uk in September 2008. The sample size was 2633 parents.
The Back to the Table campaign, which is now in its fifth year, is run by parenting website Raisingkids.co.uk and aims to encourage families to eat together. The campaign launches on 6 October 2008 with Back to the Table Week and is supported by a campaign website at www.backtothetable.co.uk. A key supporter for the 2008 campaign is Nathan Furniture which is giving away dining room furniture worth £2500 in a competition on the site.
Both Dr Pat Spungin and Catherine Hanly, Editor of www.raisingkids.co.uk, are available for interview and comment on this survey. They can also provide more examples of tips by parents who completed the survey on how weekly shopping bills can be reduced and food made to go further.
Dr Pat Spungin
Email pat.spungin@disney.com
Catherine Hanly
Email catherine.hanly@disney.com
Telephone: 0208 222 3923 or 023 8025 5245
What The Press Say:
To read the media response to previous campaigns, click here.
