Low-Income Families’ Efforts to Plan, Shop for and Cook Healthy Meals

Posted by on February 06, 2012

Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters recently surveyed low-income parents across the country about their cooking habits and the results were eye-opening. It’s Dinnertime: A Report on Low-Income Families’ Efforts to Plan, Shop for and Cook Healthy Meals, was released by Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters today, with support from the ConAgra Foods® Foundation.

Key findings include:

–          8 in 10 low-income families cook dinner at home at least five times a week.  As income decreases, the frequency of eating dinner made at home increases.

–          While low-income families are largely satisfied with the variety (61%) and quality (64%) of healthy grocery items available to them, only 30% are satisfied with their price.

–          A better understanding of the health benefits of frozen and canned fruits and vegetables could put more healthy options in reach for low-income families.

–          Low-income families that regularly plan meals, write grocery lists and budget for food make healthy meals from scratch more often (5+ times a week) than those who don’t.

As you’ll see, this survey gives voice to families who are doing the best they can to make healthy meals but struggling to do so.  It also underscores the need for more cooking, shopping and nutrition-based education among low-income populations.  The skills taught in Cooking Matters can help narrow that achievement gap: people who shop and cook with a plan are putting healthy meals on the table more often.

We hope you’ll visit http://www.CookingMatters.org/ItsDinnertime to read the study and learn more.