More parents cook multiple meals to meet special diets

THREE in four parents are having to cook multiple meals per evening because of their family’s restricted diets, research has found.

The news comes as almost a third (30 per cent) of Britons now have special dietary requirements or intolerances. Three quarters (74.5 per cent) of people now cook more than one meal every evening due to their family’s demands, a study by the Co-op found.

Victoria Attwood, product developer at Co-op, said: “The evening meal is one of the most important times to socialise and relax after a busy day, bringing all the family together around the dinner table. With an increased awareness of sourcing, nutrition, and dietary options this naturally affects personal choices and is shifting the way we eat together.”

Statistics show that Britons’ diets are increasingly in flux, with dairy, gluten and meat-free diets growing in popularity. Almost two thirds (59.5 per cent) of Britons agree that diet restrictions have affected their eating habits in the past 12 months.

The rise in intolerances may also be responsible for anti-social eating, as almost one fifth (18.2 per cent) of people choose to eat alone to avoid having to cater to different diets.

Once households do sit down for a meal together, enjoying each other’s company and catching up on the day are most valued. Almost two thirds (57 per cent) of respondents cited dinner as the meal they are most likely to enjoy as a household.

A quarter (28.2 per cent) of households aim to eat a meal together every day, but for 81.4 per cent their menu is shaped according to dietary needs.