A survey of 1,000 parents with children aged 0 to 16 revealed that 51 per cent have identical or similar lunches on weekdays. Furthermore, 48 per cent have maintained this routine for a year or more.
It's not just the parents who are stuck in a lunchtime rut their children could be too, with 34 per cent of parents confessing they serve the same lunch as their own to their kids.
The study also discovered that 19 per cent "lack inspiration" when preparing meals for their children, which might explain why 15 per cent confessed their children describe their lunch as "boring."
Factors such as time constraints (41 per cent), fussy eaters (29 per cent), and ingredient costs (27 per cent) influence lunch preparation choices.
The research, commissioned by Love Canned Food, is promoting the use of AI to help families break free from the lunchtime monotony.
Jeremy Gibson, spokesperson for the brand, commented: "It's clear a lot of parents are struggling with what to serve children and themselves at lunchtime. Utilising AI platforms is a smart way for parents to get inspired and create low-cost, convenient meals that taste delicious."
The study also found that nearly a third (29 per cent) of parents are conscious of their lunch spending. More than a quarter (27 per cent) enjoy trying different foods, and 21 per cent are "keen" to sample a variety of dishes.
More than half of parents consider taste a key factor when preparing lunch, but almost one in five say they try to mix things up to give their kids something to look forward to.
To help parents come up with new ideas, Love Canned Food is sharing AI prompts on its Instagram channel, @lovecannedfood, throughout September. The brand used AI to generate over 1,000 lunch ideas using five popular canned ingredients, including tuna quesadillas.
Jeremy said: "We thought it would be interesting to challenge AI to see just how versatile canned foods can be."
