Revolution Foods, Oakland, Calif., surveyed 1,001 parents nationwide to understand city-wide wellness as students return to school following the holidays. The study, which surveyed parents of school-age children, revealed that about two-thirds (65%) of parents look to their kids’ schools to encourage healthy habits and deliver nutritious meals.

“The New Year is the perfect time for families to reevaluate wellness goals, and for many, this includes encouraging healthy habits in and out of school. For millions of parents though, access to healthy foods remains a challenge," says Kristin Groos Richmond, chief executive officer. "This, combined with the federal government's recent relaxing of school nutrition guidelines, emphasizes the need for schools to be equipped with valuable tools and resources to educate kids about healthy food. By providing increased access to nutritious meals, companies like ours help families build lifelong healthy eaters, which can ultimately enhance positive academic outcomes today and foster future success."

Although 71% of the parents surveyed reveal they will utilize the New Year as reason to reprioritize healthy ingredients such as fresh fruits and vegetables when creating meals in the home, two-thirds (66%) believe both schools and parents share the responsibility of offering and teaching kids about nutrition. However, nearly one-third of parents surveyed indicate their schools do not do anything specific to encourage healthier eating.

The survey also revealed the following findings:

• Over half (57%) feel kids should start learning healthy eating habits as toddlers.
• A majority (69%) of parents find it difficult to make healthy eating a priority in their family during the holiday season.

The study was conducted in December 2018 by Pollfish, New York.