The Eating Habits of Kids in Canada

When it comes to food, every child is different. HelloFresh has studied the eating habits of kids across the country, surveying over 1,500 Canadians with at least one child under 16 at home.

47% of parents worry about what they will cook for their next meal

Through our survey, we discovered that 47% of Canadian parents struggle to decide what meals to cook. In addition, 62% of parents with more than four children have trouble choosing their meals, and over 50% of parents with more than five children have difficulty finding time to cook at all.

Parents often find it difficult to understand their children's needs for meals

There’s nothing quite as frustrating as spending time prepping and cooking only to have your child refuse to eat. But, you're not alone! Many children refuse to eat, and a lot of the time this is due to their distinct preferences.

47% of parents have trouble keeping meals varied throughout the week.
29% of parents find it difficult to cater to everyone's different tastes and dietary requirements.
41% of parents with children below age 5 admit that their kids often complain about their meals.
Only 8.4% of parents say that they don't struggle with anything!

How do parents get their children to eat full meals?

Few parents are strangers to mealtime food negotiations with their children: over half of the parents we surveyed admitted that their children eat three quarters or less of their meals, and only 26% are able to get their children to eat an entire meal (kudos to them!).

What influences kids' eating habits?

To put it simply, good nutrition and a balanced diet help kids grow up healthy. Here's what parents think will help to improve nutrition and encourage lifelong smart eating habits:

38% of parents suggest that having the whole family eat the same dinner will help to get their children to eat a full meal.
28% of parents think that involving children in dinner preparation will influence them to eat a full meal.
25% of parents think that bribing children with treats (e.g. dessert or extra screen time) will do the trick.
21% of parents try to hide vegetables in other parts of the meal to ensure proper nutrition for their children.

Family mealtime

Eating meals as a family provides an opportunity for everyone to come together, strengthen ties, and build better relationships. Studies have shown that families that eat together are healthier and happier overall. Our survey showed that in Canada, parents understand the importance of family mealtime, and want to make it a priority in their children's lives.

69% of parents agree that getting dinner time right is the key to a happy family.
43% of parents strongly agree that kids eating "well" supports overall peace of mind.
36% of parents think that family meal harmony is disrupted when children refuse to eat their dinner.

Tofu and quinoa are the top two new ingredients that parents have tried in their meals

Picky eating kids linked to parents who limit foods

Variety is the spice of life. We often hear parents say, "green beans are the only vegetable my child eats". That just teaches your child that mealtime is monotonous. Parents are now trying new ingredients in their meals to combat that.

6% of parents tried quinoa recently in their meals.
4% of parents tried tofu recently in their meals.
6% of parents tried almond milk recently in their meals.
3% of parents tried crab recently in their meals.

Kids Recipe Searches over COVID-19

According to Google keyword data, since the rise of COVID-19, many parents in Canada have aimed to keep life interesting by finding new ways to add variety to their kids' meals.

HelloFresh Kid-Friendly Meal Delivery Service for Your Whole Family

Our kid-friendly dinner ideas and recipes are no-brainers — they involve less stress for parents, quicker recipes, and easier prep work.

With prices starting at 8.59 per serving, and the freshest quality ingredients available, you get the most value for your money.

Your time is valuable: cook delicious meals in as little as 20 minutes with handy recipe cards and pre-portioned ingredients to make the entire process easy.

Our kid-friendly dinner ideas and recipes are no-brainers — they involve less stress for parents, quicker recipes, and easier prep work.

With prices starting at 8.59 per serving, and the freshest quality ingredients available, you get the most value for your money.

Your time is valuable: cook delicious meals in as little as 20 minutes with handy recipe cards and pre-portioned ingredients to make the entire process easy.