Research for Major Project
My major project idea is to create a range of healthy alternatives for fast food options aimed at children. Many children’s diets are made up of sugary, fatty and processed foods which are addictive. I want to create a healthier option for children and parents, which tastes like their favourite foods but is better for their health.
One reason why parents choose to buy unhealthy foods is because they may have a lower income and cannot afford to buy whole foods and ingredients. Shops like Iceland and Farmfoods stock lower quality food items at cheaper prices, so they are more available to struggling families on a budget. These shops also sell lots of frozen ready meals, which can be quickly cooked in the oven or microwave and don’t take a lot of time or effort, which could be useful to parents who are in a hurry and do not have time to go to the shops looking for ingredients and then coming home to cook it, and do the dishes afterwards.
Ready meals are convenient for parents in a rush, but they are high in salts and fats, whilst lacking nutritional value which is important for children’s health and development. They also have added ingredients to preserve them and make them more addictive. You can usually make the same meals with less ingredients and more healthy value to them, but they take more time and preparation and could be more expensive than just buying the ready meal itself.
58% of UK households choose to order a takeaway instead of cooking a meal, spending an average of £54.60 per month (FurnitureChoice, ND). Chinese, Indian and Italian are some of the most popular forms of takeaway foods, so I am going to focus on creating products inspired by these foods and chains such as McDonald’s and KFC.
Most families choose to order takeaways because it requires less cooking and cleaning, and they don’t have to worry about going and buying ingredients to make these foods. Having the time to go and buy ingredients, come home, cook the food and then clean up after can be rare for some parents who might have busy schedules and long work hours. The big issue with takeaway food is the high sodium, fat and sugar content, all of which are bad for your health and can affect things such as blood pressure and weight. They lack vitamins and minerals too which can lower your mood. Studies have shown that unhealthy food can contribute to depression by affecting the gut bacteria which then affects the production of serotonin, causing low mood. (Health 360, 2024)
Lots of food products marketed towards children can be high in sugar, which leads to obesity, tooth decay and other health problems. Research conducted on rats proved that sugar is more addictive than opioid drugs (Ramsay Health Care, ND). Giving children lots of sugar at a young age can cause them to become addicted to it, leading to a lot of issues to their health in the future.
Unhealthy food packaging is purposely designed to appeal to children by looking fun and exciting. A lot of foods use bright colours and cartoon mascots, like Kellogg’s Frosties and Coco Pops, which are cereals aimed to children. A recommended 30g serving of Frosties is 13g of sugar, meaning almost half of the serving is purely sugar, which will cause a spike in blood sugar early in the morning for kids. The recommended serving of free sugar is 24g (NHS, 2024) for children and a bowl of cereal means they have already had half of their daily allowance as soon as they wake up.
There are some healthy foods that are made specifically for children, such as M&S Taste Buds. They are ready meals which can be cooked quickly for children but contain healthier food sources and are more nutritious. They use mascot characters and bright colours similar to Kellogg’s but are using it to promote a healthier option. They also have slogans on the packaging which mentions them being high in protein and one of your five a day, which encourages parents to buy these instead of other options. This is something which I also would like to do when I create my own products as it will look just as appealing but will be a better alternative parents can buy for their children.
References
Farmfoods (nd) Farmfoods Advertisement [Image]. Available online: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstopjunkmail.org.uk%2Fblogs%2Froyal-junk-mail%2Fjunk-mailer%2Ffarmfoods.html&psig=AOvVaw0YPOigevbPKEiw4j1V-cei&ust=1730719122640000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCJDyj6eFwIkDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAv [Accessed: 29/10/2024]
FurnitureChoice (2018) Takeaway Cities: Taking a look at the UK’s takeaway habits [Article]. Available online: https://www.furniturechoice.co.uk/inspiration/takeaway-cities-taking-a-look-at-the-uks-takeaway-habits_a10000131 [Accessed: 18/10/2024]
Health360 (2024) Link between fast food and depression [Article]. Available online: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/fast-food-depression-link [Accessed: 18/10/2024]
Kellogg’s (2024) Kellogg’s Frosties Cereal [Image]. Available online: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsachetsandmore.com%2Fproducts%2Fkelloggs-frosties-mini-cereal-portion-35g&psig=AOvVaw2obOPkFgZuMbhPn9PenZ8D&ust=1730720120481000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCKDEs4GJwIkDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAn [Accessed: 29/10/2024
M&S (nd) M&S Taste Buds [Image]. Available online: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marksandspencer.com%2Fc%2Ffood-to-order%2Ftaste-buds&psig=AOvVaw2f5PNSDObPGgTJ8q2zUO5G&ust=1730719945105000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCLis5K2IwIkDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE [Accessed: 29/10/2024]
NHS (2024) Sugar: The Facts [Article]. Available online: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health/ [Accessed: 18/10/2024]
Ramsay Health Care (nd) Is Sugar More Addictive Than Cocaine? [Article]. Available online: https://www.ramsayhealth.co.uk/blog/lifestyle/is-sugar-more-addictive-than-cocaine [Accessed: 18/10/2024]