Children with 'college educated' parents likelier to have healthy eating habits

A new study has revealed that kids with college-educated parents are more likely to eat healthy food.

The study by University of British Columbiafound found that Vancouver school children whose parents completed some post-secondary education were 85 per cent more likely to eat vegetables during the school week than those with parents who completed high school or less. Children whose parents graduated from college or university were 67 per cent less likely to consume sugary drinks, like soda pop.

The research suggested that a parent's educational attainment, an indicator of socioeconomic status, might inform a child's diet.

Jennifer Black, a food, nutrition and health professor in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, said that higher priced products, like vegetables, might not be the food that gets packed first for vulnerable families that need to make tough choices about school lunches.

However, it was also revealed that the majority of children, regardless of socioeconomic status, do not consume enough low-fat milk or whole grains on school days, opting instead for packaged snack foods like potato chips or fast-food style items, like French fries, high in sodium and saturated fat.