From tense standoffs to strategic bargaining — the average American parent spends 67 hours per year “in negotiation” with their child, according to new research.
A survey of 2,000 parents of school-aged children examined the food-related battles and compromises each household goes through and found the average mom or dad strikes five bargains with their child per week.
The survey also found that dinnertime is the most common meal of the day for parents to receive pushback from their young ones, with children aged five officially the pickiest.
Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of SeaPak, the results showed nearly half of parents (44%) are concerned their child’s pickiness is affecting their overall nutrition.
Complaints about not wanting to eat veggies (37%) were the number one reason for mealtime meltdowns, followed by disliking the smell of the meal (33%) and “not liking the way it looks” (32%).
Fourteen percent of parents said food battles stem from their child not wanting to try something new, further complicating the issue.
“It’s such a common problem, said Meaghan Murphy, lifestyle expert and spokesperson for SeaPak. “We hear from parents all the time who want to make sure their children are getting a balanced diet but who also are hesitant to eat anything they’ve never had before. The good news is that with a little creativity, introducing new foods and flavors into familiar dishes can help children expand their palates and enjoy a more varied, nutritious diet without the stress.”
Some of the ways parents who participated in the survey addressed this issue were to engage with their children more around mealtime, rather than punish them for their pushback.
The most popular foods parents said their kids rarely turn down were pizza (76%), chicken nuggets (73%), fries (72%), macaroni and cheese (66%) and hamburgers (58%).
And seafood is a reliable go-to for about a third of parents who said their kids never say no to shrimp (32%) or fish sticks (31%).
And those familiar favorites come in handy when expanding kids’ culinary palettes. One of the most common strategies parents use is pairing new foods with flavors children already enjoy (31%).
Other strategies parents said they use to get their kids to try something new were getting their kids involved in meal preparation (36%) and introducing new foods gradually (34%). When it comes to the types of food parents receive the most pushback on, vegetables were overwhelmingly where parents saw the most refusals (56%). Just 17% of parents said the same about proteins.
Additional helpful tactics parents noted were teaching children about the benefits of nutrition (28%), creating a positive, pressure-free mealtime environment (26%) and modeling positive behaviors by trying new ingredients for the first time with their kids (26%).
Repeated exposure (25%), offering rewards or incentives (19%) and preparing food in fun shapes and colorful arrangements (19%) were also mentioned.
Interestingly, a little over one in four participants (26%) said they were a picky eater as a kid and are still a picky eater.
“We know that getting picky eaters to try new foods can be a challenge, but seafood is a great source of protein that offers a quick and easy way to make mealtime both fun and nutritious,” said Ciera Womack, Director of Marketing, Seafood at Rich Products Corporation. “Our goal is to help parents feel confident in serving seafood in ways that are familiar and approachable, whether it’s a twist on a favorite dish or a fun new shape that sparks curiosity. Every small step toward variety can help set the stage for healthier eating habits down the road.”
MOST COMMON KID CRITIQUES AT MEALTIME
● I don’t like vegetables/a certain vegetable (37%)
● I don’t like the smell (33%)
● I don’t like the way it looks (32%)
● It’s too spicy (22%)
● It’s too mushy (18%)
● I don’t want to eat something new (14%)
● It’s too plain/bland (10%)
● It’s boring (9%)
● I had this recently (yesterday, at lunch at school, etc.) (9%)
● It’s too chewy (9%)
● It’s too hot (temperature, not spice) (9%)
● It’s too cold (7%)
● It’s too crunchy (6%)
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American parents with school-aged children; the survey was commissioned by SeaPak and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between January 31 – February 4, 2025.
