Fast food is becoming the family cook despite shortcomings

According to a UNT study, Dallas-Fort Worth parents are taking their children to fast food restaurants despite the expense, the lack of nutrition and the guilt.

Johnny Sue Reynolds, interim associate dean and associate professor of merchandising and hospitality management, and Lisa Kennon, assistant professor of merchandising and hospitality management, say parents take their kids to quick-serve restaurants because it's a fast and easy solution in their hectic lives. It allows parents to feed their children while spending more time with them.

Reynolds says the disturbing part of the trend is that children have grown to prefer fast food, which is often nutritionally lacking, to balanced, home-cooked meals.

The majority of the 188 Metroplex parents surveyed — both single and dual parents — worked and often commuted. Each family surveyed had children who were 12 years old and under.

For many of the parents, fast food eliminates the hassles of planning meals, shopping, preparing and cleaning up after a long workday. And, children are typically hungry and ready to eat when parents pick them up from school or a child-care facility.

The study also indicated that children preferred fast food products such as hamburgers, chicken nuggets and pizza rather than healthier items such as milk, salad, and frozen yogurt. It also showed that parents feel guilty about serving fast food because they realize it is not as nutritious as home-cooked meals. Foods that ranked at the top of the list of kids' favorites, such as french fries, were near the bottom of the parents' list ranking foods in order of perceived nutritional value.

"It's a double-edged sword," Reynolds says. "Although many parents take their kids to quick-serve restaurants for convenience, they know that the items their kids like aren't necessarily the best things for them."

Reynolds says we shouldn't blame parents, who often must juggle multiple tasks between work and home. Instead, she believes both the quick-service industry and parents must find a way to accommodate their needs.

"For their part, parents must remember that moderation is the key," she adds. "Children can have fast food meals, but they must be balanced with other foods."

The study also asked parents what they sought in fast food service. The top three items were speedy service, their child's favorite foods and drive-through service.

BY RUFUS COLEMAN rcoleman@unt.edu

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