Efforts to increase awareness about nutrition in schools appear to be paying off with new research revealing a healthy twist to pester power, as 49% of parents say that their children are now ‘pestering’ them for fruit and vegetables.

A survey of 1,500 parents, commissioned by online grocery retailer Tesco.com, reveals that a significant number actively involve their children in deciding lunchbox items with 93% saying that they ask their children’s opinions before selecting foods. Parents also said they spent an average of three minutes a day evaluating the nutritional content in their children’s diets.

In order to help parents, Tesco.com has launched the Lunchbox Selection Tool ( www.tesco.com/lunchbox), an easy-to-use, interactive online tool that allows parents to plan their children’s lunchboxes. As parents choose each item, the Lunchbox Selection Tool measures the nutritional content of each food against the Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) for calories, fat, saturates and salt, allowing them to ensure that their children are eating a balanced meal. Once the parents have selected the lunchbox items, they can then use the Click To Buy option to have them delivered by Tesco.com.

The study also revealed that parents appear to be less likely to give in to their children’s demands for unhealthy food: 42% say they stand their ground when faced with demands for an unhealthy food item, while 44% would look for a healthier and tastier alternative. Interestingly, 58% said that their children’s lunchboxes were much healthier than theirs were at the same age.

When quizzed parents said that their top five favourite lunchbox items as children were:

Apples
Cheese and onion sandwiches
Crisps
Cheese triangles
Peanut butter sandwiches

Significantly, parents appear to have replaced their own favourites, like crisps and cheese and onion sandwiches, with healthier options. Fruit clearly dominated the list of top five items selected by parents using the Lunchbox Selection Tool and included:

White grapes
Strawberries
Bananas
Frubes
Tomatoes

Said Tesco.com’s Mandy Minichiello: “As a mother I understand the challenges of choosing the right lunchbox options and ensuring that your children are eating a healthy, balanced diet. This research has revealed that children are also taking the initiative to eat healthily.”