Nearly three in five parents stressed just thinking about packing kids lunches again

By SWNS Staff

Two in five parents are the most stressed out before the school day even begins, according to new research.

That’s according to a survey of 2,000 parents of school-aged children that looked at some of the biggest pain points for parents getting ready for back to school.

Trouble begins at the grocery store for more than half of parents (54%) who dread back-to-school grocery shopping.

Grocery shopping is not an easy task for parents. The top hurdle is trying to stay within a budget (50%), with accommodating all their family’s unique taste preferences coming in a close second place (49%).

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of HelloFresh , the survey found that nearly three in five (59%) parents say they’re stressed just thinking about packing their kids’ lunches again — with expensive groceries (56%) and just not having enough time to make lunch (40%) sending parents spinning.

While a similar three in five try to cut time by packing leftovers from the night before dinner for their kid’s lunch, grocery shopping is a chore for parents everywhere.

Despite trying to shop off of a grocery list, stick to a budget or shop on sale, grocery shopping can get expensive all too quickly.

Although plenty of parents budget during the summer to prepare for back-to-school season (58%), parents spend an extra $390 on groceries per person in their household during the school year.

Most parents still find planning and making dinner stressful (59%), even though 41% of parents agree that it is the easiest meal to prepare for kids during the school year.

Half of parents say they have discussions with their family about what they should make for dinner, while another 47% say they decide what to make based on their family’s schedule.

The same amount surveyed said they would be likely to use a meal delivery service to help them plan meals for the entire family during the school year.

And 44% worry it will be difficult to plan and prepare all meals for their kid now that they’re returning to school in person.

“Grocery shopping during the school year can really add up and cause a lot of increased stress for families,” said Dana Murrell, head of culinary at HelloFresh. “We can help alleviate that concern by providing the exact amount of ingredients and essentials parents need to prep meals.”

On average, parents pack lunch for their child three times a week, trying to prioritize healthy options above all (57%).

Most parents always try to include fruits and vegetables for lunch (83%) but are likely to see them untouched in their kid’s lunch box at the end of the day.

Half of the parents polled say their kids make things a bit easier by asking for their “usual” for lunch, while another 36% of parents have had to get creative when their kid asked for lunch inspired by another kid’s at school.

“As we head back to school following an especially challenging year, many parents are readjusting to new schedules and are really stressed about planning and prepping lunch for their kids,” said Murrell. “That’s why HelloFresh’s first-ever back-to-school bundles may help parents as they can select from a wide range of easy-prep breakfast and lunch options, ready-to-heat meals, and grab ‘n’ go snacks to make meal prep a breeze.”

FOODS KIDS LEAVE UNEATEN AT LUNCH