Is Parents’ Cooking Confidence Linked to Children Eating More Fish and Seafood?
Is Parents’ Cooking Confidence Linked to Children Eating More Fish and Seafood?
This study explores whether a parents cooking habits could effect a childs consumption of food and seafood.
What We Did and Why We Did It
We studied 28 parents and 40 children from the Guelph Family Health Study to explore whether parents’ attitudes, habits, and confidence in preparing fish and seafood were related to how often their children ate these foods. Parents completed surveys about their own fish and seafood consumption, cooking confidence, and their children’s intake.
Fish and seafood provide important omega-3 fats that support children’s brain development, growth, and long-term health. However, most Canadian children eat less fish and seafood than recommended. Understanding what influences children’s intake can help identify ways to improve their diets.
What We Found
What We Can Learn From This
Parents who felt more confident preparing fish and seafood were more likely to have children who ate fish and seafood at least once a month. Overall, only 20% of children ate a serving of fish or seafood each week, while 63% ate at least one type of fish or seafood monthly. No other parental attitudes or perceptions were significantly linked to children’s intake.
Helping parents build confidence with cooking fish and seafood (through simple recipes, cooking demonstrations, or meal planning resources) may encourage families to include these foods more often. Supporting parents with food skills could be an effective way to improve children’s intake of important nutrients.
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