More Kids Influencing In-home Breakfast Occasions

Kids are eating 43 more meals at home each year than they did a decade ago, and maintain influence over some but not all in-home eating occasions, finds new food market research by The NPD Group.

A recently released report, NPD’s “Generation Mom: How Moms Provide and Kids Influence Consumption Patterns in the Home,” finds that 31 percent of kids influence what they eat for breakfast but few (3 percent) control what they eat for dinner.

Additionally, 24 percent of kids ages 2-17 choose what to eat at lunch, between meal snacks are chosen by 46 percent of kids, and teens are more than twice as likely to influence what will be eaten for any in-home meal occasion.

“Stay at home dinners are quickly growing across all kids age groups, especially as tight budgets continue to restrict the amount of restaurant meals families can afford,” said Darren Seifer, NPD food and beverage industry analyst. “More kids plus more meals being eaten at home represents a growing opportunity for food and beverage manufacturers. By understanding who controls the meal and what is commonly consumed at each meal, you can more effectively target your audience.”

The NPD Group provides comprehensive consumer and retail information to more than 2,000 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national and local market levels.