The aim of this project is to review the products and recipes contained within popular subscription meal kits to determine if they are suitable for wider use among people who are food insecure.

Across the 6-week period, weekly meal kits from both HelloFresh and Markey Spoon were purchased, resulting in thirty-six individual meals that were prepared and assessed. Meals were assessed based on the content included in the meal kit compared with the recipe card and the nutrition panel, the costs of the individual foods if purchased at one of two major supermarkets and the ease of preparation.

Australia.

Households were comprised of two, 2-person households who were provided with 2 meals each week, and two, single-person households who were provided with one meal each week.

The findings of this research suggest that while the meal kits are convenient and, in general, the recipes are easy to follow, and the meals would be made again, the high levels of salt and fat may preclude these kits from regular inclusion in a healthy diet. The meal kits were also found to be more costly than the same ingredients if purchased from a major supermarket. However, the convenience of having most of the foods needed to prepare a full meal with little to no wastage may counterbalance this cost.

Meal kits may be a useful component of a healthy diet, that can increase meals prepared and consumed in the home, and thanks to the clear instructions and pre-portioned ingredients, may reduce stress related to food preparation.

This study seeks to empirically investigate how the changing eating habits affect health habits within three countries with entirely different cultures and diets to understand to what extent the pandemic may be responsible for these changes.

Specifically, a questionnaire was conducted in China, Portugal and Turkey in early 2021. A series of statistical analyses were performed to identify how changes in individuals’ eating habits have influenced their diets, considering the pandemic context and the varying cultural contexts where this research was performed.

A structured questionnaire form was developed and uploaded to an online platform with unique links for automatic distribution to respondents in each country. Data for the main survey were gathered between 3 January and 1 February 2021.

Using snowball sampling, the authors leveraged their social networks by asking friends and colleagues to distribute the survey to potentially interested individuals. This distribution was stratified accordingly to the distribution of the population. The authors ultimately collected 319 useable surveys from China, 351 from Portugal and 449 from Turkey.

The pandemic inspired healthier food habits, mostly because people have additional time to cook, shop differently for food and spend more money on groceries.

The study suggests that aside from cultural values and dietary habits, the available time and the fear of the pandemic most explained the new eating habits. Several implications are provided for researchers and overall society in these three countries.

Survival rates for paediatric cancers have increased dramatically since the 1970s, but childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at increased risk for several chronic diseases throughout life. Nutrition interventions promoting healthy family meals may support wellness for survivors, but little research has explored CCS family food preparation habits. The goal of the present study was to describe and compare food preparation practices of CCS and non-CCS families.

Observational.

Typical evening meal preparation events were observed and recorded in participant homes. Recordings and notes were analysed using the Healthy Cooking Index (HCI), a measure of nutrition-optimizing food preparation practices relevant to survivor wellness. Demographics, BMI and nutrient composition of prepared meals were also collected.

Forty parents with a CCS or non-CCS child aged 5–17 years were recruited.

There were no major differences between the CCS and non-CCS families with regard to summative HCI score or specific food preparation behaviours. Meals prepared by CCS and non-CCS families had similar nutrient compositions.

The study revealed areas for practical nutrition intervention in CCS and non-CCS families. Future studies should consider adopting and tailoring nutrition intervention methods that have been successful in non-CCS communities.

The purpose of the present study was to explore food preparation behaviours, attitudes, meal planning and shopping among Mexican-American mothers.

Data were collected through four focus groups with mothers of Mexican origin/ancestry who considered themselves to be the primary food preparer. Topics included food preparation behaviours and influencers (culture, family, attitudes, barriers, meal planning and shopping). Data were analysed using a qualitative grounded theory approach. All focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded for themes.

Data were collected in southern California, USA in 2013.

Of the sample of twenty-one Mexican-American mothers, thirteen were born outside the USA and the mean household size was five members.

Participants reported that food was often prepared using traditional staples and food preparation behaviours were learned from maternal family members. Participants also suggested that health was influenced by foods eaten and how they were prepared. Salient factors influencing food preparation behaviours included culture and tradition, maternal family members’ food preparation behaviours, food preparation self-efficacy and attitudes towards healthy eating. Time and busy schedules were cited as barriers.

Future interventions should consider utilizing family-based approaches and teaching culturally relevant food preparation skills, especially to youth, while reinforcing more healthful dietary practices.

While vegetables are often studied as one food group, global measures may mask variation in the types and forms of vegetables preferred by different individuals. To explore preferences for and perceptions of vegetables, we assessed main food preparers based on their preparation of eight specific vegetables and mushrooms.

An online self-report survey.

Ontario, Canada. Measures included perceived benefits and obstacles of vegetables, convenience orientation and variety seeking in meal preparation.

Of the 4517 randomly selected consumers who received the invitation, 1013 responded to the survey (22·4 % response). Data from the main food preparers were analysed (n 756).

Latent profile analysis indicated three segments of food preparers. More open to new recipes, the ‘crucifer lover’ segment (13 %) prepared and consumed substantially more Brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus than the other segments. Although similar to the ‘average consumer’ segment (54 %) in many ways, the ‘frozen vegetable user’ segment (33 %) used significantly more frozen vegetables than the other segments due to higher prioritization of time and convenience in meal preparation and stronger ‘healthy=not tasty’ perception. Perception of specific vegetables on taste, healthiness, ease of preparation and cost varied significantly across the three consumer segments. Crucifer lovers also differed with respect to shopping and cooking habits compared with the frozen vegetable users.

The substantial heterogeneity in the types of vegetables consumed and perceptions across the three consumer segments has implications for the development of new approaches to promoting these foods.

To examine whether involvement in food preparation tracks over time, between adolescence (15–18 years), emerging adulthood (19–23 years) and the mid-to-late twenties (24–28 years), as well as 10-year longitudinal associations between home food preparation, dietary quality and meal patterning.

Population-based, longitudinal cohort study.

Participants were originally sampled from Minnesota public secondary schools (USA).

Participants enrolled in Project EAT (Eating Among Teens and Young Adults)-I, EAT-II and EAT-III (n 1321).

Most participants in their mid-to-late twenties reported an enjoyment of cooking (73 % of males, 80 % of females); however, few prepared meals including vegetables most days of the week (24 % of males, 41 % of females). Participants in their mid-to-late twenties who enjoyed cooking were more likely to have engaged in food preparation as adolescents and emerging adults (P < 0·01); those who frequently prepared meals including vegetables were more likely to have engaged in food preparation as emerging adults (P < 0·001), but not as adolescents. Emerging adult food preparation predicted better dietary quality five years later in the mid-to-late twenties, including higher intakes of fruit, vegetables and dark green/orange vegetables, and less sugar-sweetened beverage and fast-food consumption. Associations between adolescent food preparation and later dietary quality yielded few significant results.

Food preparation behaviours appeared to track over time and engagement in food preparation during emerging adulthood, but not adolescence, was associated with healthier dietary intake during the mid-to-late twenties. Intervention studies are needed to understand whether promoting healthy food preparation results in improvements in eating patterns during the transition to adulthood.