One in four UK parents work extra hours to feed family amid healthy eating push

While the Beano Brain ‘Food for Thought’ report reveals that 32% of kids actively seek to try new foods, it also shows that this culinary adventure is happening against a backdrop of unprecedented financial pressure that could be making healthy eating a luxury many can’t afford.

Most parents (79%) are overwhelmed by grocery costs and nearly half (48%) say healthy food choices are too expensive with many (46%) switching to cheaper brands.

A third of lower-income families are buying less food overall.

However, the research reveals that 86% of families consider eating together a special time, with food serving as a powerful bridge between generations and cultures. Crucially, 76% of parents feel it’s important to pass on food traditions to their children, while 67% of families eat food that helps express their cultural heritage.

The report also shows that parents want to make healthy choices but feel trapped by cost and confused by unclear packaging and information.

Of those polled, 78% of parents think brands could do more to help them make healthy choices and 29% of parents want the government to do more to promote healthy food choices.

Only 18% of parents feel their child learns enough about healthy eating in school, while 86% of kids are “bombarded with junk food ads” on social media and half of parents worry about the impact advertising has on their kids’ food choices.

Helenor Gilmour, director of strategy, Beano Brain, said: “Kids are adventurous eaters.  They’re not scared of new foods; they’re excited by them. The idea of the picky eater just doesn’t hold up for Gen Alpha.

“Despite financial pressures, families are determined to use food as a way to share love, culture, and connection. Cultural food traditions keep families tied to their heritage – the language of food persists even when other traditions don’t.

“The cost-of-living crisis means brands have a crucial opportunity to genuinely support families, not just market to them, by offering transparency, quality AND value when it’s needed most.

“The best food moments are rarely about what’s on the plate – they’re about feeling connected, celebrated, and cared for through everyday moments together.”