Children's Eating Habits - UK - December 2003

Contents

Introduction and Abbreviations

Abbreviations

Executive Summary

• Child population has fallen below 12.5 million
• Most mothers now work outside the home
• Most popular children's foods and drinks
• ...but healthy eating is a key preoccupation for the majority of parents
• Differences between mothers and fathers
• Children's attitudes
• Eating between meals is the norm
• Processed meat is a staple food
• Families still do eat together
• Family eating out habits
• Virtually all 7-10-year-olds visit burger bars
• But the older children have been to other restaurants as well
• A ban on advertising to children could still be possible
• Retailers continue to be proactive
• Pressure on manufacturers set to continue

Market Background

• Decline in the number of children
• Figure 1: Number of children living in the UK, by age group, 1998-2003
• Figure 2: UK child population, by age group and gender, 1998-2003
• Family size
• Figure 3: Average family size for the constituent countries, UK, 1950-2000
• Pocket money
• Figure 4: Average weekly income of children aged 7-14, 2001-03
• Figure 5: Average monthly income of children aged 15-16, 2001-03
• Figure 6: Average weekly income of children aged 7-14, by region, 2001-03
• Figure 7: Average monthly income of children aged 15-16, by region, 2001-03

Parental dynamics

• The economy and its effect on spending
• Figure 8: Trends in personal disposable income (PDI) and consumer expenditure, 1998-2007
• Changing social structure
• Figure 9: Household composition in Great Britain, 1979-2001
• Figure 10: Demographic profiles of those with children living at home vs elsewhere, April 2003
• Working status
• Figure 11: Women in employment, by age of youngest dependent child, 1997-2002/03
• Figure 12: Demographic profiles of full-time, part-time and non-working women in households with children under 16, April 2003

Market Values

• Introduction
• Identifying 'children's food' markets
• Figure 13: Penetration of foods particularly popular with children, 2003
• Figure 14: Penetration of drinks popular with children, 2003
• Figure 15: Foods eaten by children, 2003
• Figure 16: Drinks consumed by children aged 7-16, 2003
• A closer look at the markets
• Breakfast cereals
• Figure 17: UK retail sales of breakfast cereals, by value, 1998-2003
• Baked beans and canned pasta
• Figure 18: UK retail sales of baked beans and canned pasta, 1998-2003
• Biscuits
• Figure 19: UK retail sales of biscuits, 1998-2003
• Pizza
• Figure 20: UK retail sales of pizza, by value, 1998-2003
• Crisps and snacks
• Figure 21: UK retail sales of crisps and snacks, 1998-2003
• Yogurts and chilled pot desserts
• Figure 22: UK retail sales of yogurts and chilled pot desserts, by volume and value, 1998-2003
• Confectionery
• Figure 23: Retail sales of chocolate and sugar confectionery, by volume and value, 1998-2003
• Impulse ice cream
• Figure 24: Retail sales of impulse ice cream, by volume and value, 1998-2003
• Juice and juice drinks
• Figure 25: Retail sales of fruit juices and juice drinks, by volume and value, 1998-2003
• Carbonates
• Figure 26: Retail sales of carbonates, by volume and value, 1998-2003
• Conclusions

Issues and Trends

• Eating habits today
• The general picture
• Figure 27: Eating habits, by adults, 1998-2003
• Parental attitudes
• Figure 28: Eating habits, all adults and family adults, 2003
• Figure 29: Respondents with families who agree with statements regarding eating habits, 2003
• Child health issues and the media
• Childhood obesity
• Trans fats
• Additives
• Parental attitudes
• Figure 30: Attitudes towards children's diets, 1996, 2001 and 2003
• Parental attitudes by demographics
• Figure 31: Attitudes towards healthy eating among children, parents, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Parental attitudes - mothers vs fathers
• Figure 32: Attitudes towards healthy eating among children, men and women, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Healthy lifestyles
• Figure 33: Parental attitudes towards keeping up with new ideas and latest advice on healthy lifestyles, December 2002
• Children's attitudes
• Figure 34: Attitudes towards eating, by children aged 11-16, 2003
• Figure 35: Attitudes towards healthy eating, 11-16-year-olds, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Figure 36: Attitudes towards food, 11-16-year-olds, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Conclusions and implications

Children's Snacking Habits

• Introduction
• Eating between meals
• Figure 37: Agreement/disagreement with the statement 'I often eat between meals', 2003
• Parental attitudes towards snacking
• Figure 38: Attitudes towards children's snacking, February 2003
• Parental attitudes towards snacking by demographics
• Figure 39: Attitudes towards children's snacking habits, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Parental attitudes towards snacking - mothers vs fathers
• Figure 40: Attitudes towards children's snacking habits, men and women, by demographic sub- group, 2003
• Incidence of snacking among children
• Figure 41: Items eaten between meals, 2003
• Snacks by demographics
• Figure 42: Most popular snacks or nibbles, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Figure 43: Most popular snacks or nibbles, by boys and girls who eat fruit as a snack, 2003
• Figure 44: Snacks most likely to be eaten by ABC1 children, 2003
• Chocolate - consumption, purchase and location eaten
• Figure 45: Demographic analysis of children's consumption of chocolate, by purchasing and eating patterns, 2003
• Sweets - consumption, purchase and location eaten
• Figure 46: Demographic analysis of children's consumption of sweets, by purchasing and eating patterns, 2003
• Crisps - consumption, purchase and location eaten
• Figure 47: Demographic analysis of children's consumption of crisps, by purchasing and eating patterns, 2003
• After-school snacking
• Figure 48: Snack products eaten after school, 1999, 2001 and 2003
• Preparing snacks for themselves
• Figure 49: "My children often prepare snacks for themselves", by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Conclusions and implications

Meal Times

• Introduction
• What do children eat?
• Figure 50: Foods eaten, by product category, 2003
• Consumption of protein-based foods
• Figure 51: Children's consumption of protein-based foods, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Figure 52: Consumption of meat-based foods, demographic sub-group, 2003
• Consumption of side-of-plate foods and desserts
• Figure 53: Consumption of side-of-plate foods and desserts, 2003
• Influences on the type of foods eaten
• Figure 54: Food groups consumed by children aged 11-16, by interest in healthy eating issues, 2003
• Figure 55: Consumption of food groups by children aged 11-16, by attitudes towards food, 2003

Family meal times

• Formal vs informal meals
• Figure 56: Attitudes towards main meals, by family type, September 2002
• Figure 57: Frequency of eating together with other members of household, September 2002

Breakfast

• Importance of breakfast - children's view
• Figure 58: Level of agreement with the statement 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day', by demographic sub-group, 2003
• What children eat for breakfast
• Figure 59: Foods eaten for breakfast, children aged 7-10 and 11-16, 2003
• Breakfast among 7-10s
• Figure 60: Most popular breakfast items for children aged 7-10, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Breakfast among 11-16s
• Figure 61: Most popular breakfast items for children aged 11-16, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Figure 62: Changes in usage of cereal and bread products, 2002

Lunch

• Children's packed lunches - parental habits
• Figure 63: Habits in respect of children's weekday lunches in term-time, August 2002
• Figure 64: Mothers providing packed lunch and mothers whose children buy their lunch at school or have free lunches, by demographic sub-group, August 2002
• Children's school lunches - products eaten
• Figure 65: Food and drink consumed at school, 2003
• Weekday vs weekend eating
• Figure 66: Foods eaten at lunchtimes by 11-16-year-olds, 2003
• The Sunday roast - 7-10s
• Figure 67: Incidence of having a roast dinner on Sundays, 7-10s, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Eating main meals with the family - 11-16s
• Figure 68: When children aged 11-16 eat main meals with their families, 2003
• Figure 69: Children aged 11-16 who eat main meals with their families at the weekend, by age and socio-economic status, 2003
• Figure 70: Children aged 11-16 who eat main meals with their families at the weekend, by region, 2003
• Conclusions and implications

Eating Out

• Introduction
• The rise in popularity of eating out
• Frequency of eating out
• Figure 71: Frequency of eating out during the day, families compared to all adults, 2003
• Figure 72: Frequency of eating out during the evening, families compared to all adults, 2003
• Family eating out habits
• Figure 73: Venues eaten in or from which a take-away has been purchased in the last three months, February 2003
• Figure 74: Frequency of eating out in fast-food restaurants, families compared to all adults, 2003
• Children's attitudes towards eating out
• Figure 75: Those who agree/disagree with statements regarding eating out, 2003

Fast-food outlets

• Burger bars and fish and chip shops - 7-10s
• Figure 76: Usage of burger bars and other fast-food outlets, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Eating in vs take-away
• Figure 77: Type of usage of burger bars by 7-10-year-olds, 2003
• Going with others
• Figure 78: With whom 7-10s go to burger bars, 2003
• Figure 79: With whom 7-10s go to burger bars, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Take-aways and fast-food - 11-16s
• Figure 80: Usage of fast-food places by 11-16-year-olds, 2003
• Types of outlets used
• Figure 81: Usage of fast-food places by 11-16-year-olds, 2003
• Figure 82: Children aged 11-16 who have visited fast-food places in the last three months, 2003
• Frequency of using take-away/fast-food outlets
• Figure 83: Frequency of usage of fast-food places by 11-16-year-olds within the last three months, 2003
• Figure 84: The frequency of eating in fast-food places by 11-16-year-olds within the last three months, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Going with others
• Figure 85: With whom 11-16-year-olds usually eat fast-food, 2003
• Figure 86: Who the 11-16s most commonly eat fast-food with, by those eating in or eating take- aways, 2003
• Pizza - 7-10s
• Eat in vs take-away
• Figure 87: Usage of pizza places by 7-10s, 2003
• Going with others
• Figure 88: With whom 7-10-year-olds visit pizza places, 2003
• Pizza - 11-16s
• Figure 89: Usage of pizza places by 11-16s, 2003
• Frequency of use
• Figure 90: Frequency of usage of pizza places by 11-16-year-olds, 2003
• Figure 91: 11-16-year-olds who have been to or used a pizza place 1-4 times in the last three months, 2003
• Going with others
• Figure 92: With whom 11-16s visit pizza places, 2003
• Figure 93: Those visiting pizza places with parents or friends, 11-16-year-olds, by demographic sub-group, 2003

Other restaurants - 11-16s

• Figure 94: Those aged 11-16 who visit restaurants other than fast-food and pizza places, 2003
• Types of other restaurants visited
• Figure 95: Types of restaurant visited by 11-16-year-olds within the last three months, by socio-economic status, 2003
• Figure 96: Types of restaurant visited by 11-16-year-olds within the last three months, by demographic sub-group, 2003
• Frequency of use
• Figure 97: Frequency of going to 'other' restaurants by 11-16-year-olds within the last three months, by socio-economic status, 2003
• Going with others
• Figure 98: Those with whom 11-16s visit 'other' restaurants, 2003
• Figure 99: The 11-16s who visit 'other' restaurants with parents or friends, by demographic sub- group, 2003
• Regional differences
• Figure 100: Usage of fast-food outlets, by region, 2003
• Conclusions and implications

Marketing Tools

• Introduction
• Pester power and the issue of advertising
• Attitudes towards advertising to children - FAU research
• Figure 101: Attitudes towards advertising to children, August 2003
• "Advertising to children should be banned"
• Figure 102: "I thinking advertising to children should be banned", April 2003
• FSA study
• Influencing adults - FAU research
• Figure 103: Influences on children, 2003

Targeting children

• Mainstream advertising
• Figure 104: Main monitored media advertising expenditure on sectors that are particularly popular with children, 1998-2002
• Advertising on brands popular with children
• Figure 105: Main monitored media advertising expenditure on brands popular with children, January-August 2003
• Character merchandising
• Figure 106: Selected usage on food products of popular children's characters, 2003
• Figure 107: Further selected usage on food products of popular children's characters, 2003
• Figure 108: Examples of below-the-line activity featuring character merchandising, 2003
• Other on-pack promotions
• Figure 109: Selected below-the-line activity other than character merchandising, 2003
• Celebrity endorsements
• Retailer activity
• Figure 110: Selected retailers' children's brands, 2003

The Future

• Target market will continue to shrink
• Figure 111: Projected shifts in the UK child population, 2003-08
• Pressure on manufacturers set to continue
• Online-shopping could circumvent pester power
• Figure 112: British Internet penetration, 2000-03
• The role of grandparents
• Figure 113: Forecast trends in the UK population of those aged 50+, 2003-08

Appendix: Research Methodology