Tighter Budgets Mean More Eating At Home, Kids Exerting Greater Control Over Meals

Less dining out because of tighter budgets means more kids are eating at home, and they are exerting increasing over breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, according to The NPD Group. Thirty-one percent of kids (ages 2 to 17) influence what they have for breakfast, 24 percent control lunch and three percent influence dinner. Forty-six percent of kids choose their own snacks. Stay-at-home dinners are also on the rise, thanks to budget constraints. The market researchers says these trends open up some marketing opportunities for food and beverage makers.