Rebecca Adlington OBE on children’s eating habits

Eco-conscious children believe we’ll be eating very differently in the future, new research today shows. According to a study of 1,000 5-12-year-olds, 4 in 10 (44%) believe we’ll eat less meat in 50 years’ time, instead opting for plant-based alternatives (35%), cheese made without milk (25%), meat grown in factories (20%) and fake fish (12%).

The research, commissioned by Sainsbury’s and the LEGO Group, has not only revealed what kids believe we’ll be eating in the future, but also how attitudes towards food have changed due to COVID-19 and how experimental kids are.

The findings show that the pandemic has made one in five reconsider their eating habits, opting for healthier food then before lockdown. Of those, (50%) of children surveyed are eating more fruit and over a third (34%) consume more vegetables. In fact, data shows vegetable sales grew from 9.7% to 10.9% share of all grocery products purchased between March and June 2019 vs 2020, as the nation opted to cook more meals from scratch. Encouragingly, more than a quarter (27%) say that the pandemic has made them more aware about their health and wellbeing, whilst one in five (20%) say they are more eco-conscious than before.

Aston spoke to Rebecca Adlington OBE, double Olympic gold medlaist swimmer to discuss the new research and reveal what children believe we will be eating in 50 years’ time and how children are keen to learn more about where their food comes from.

Image: Flickr