schools
3 in 4 parents paying more attention to what’s in their food
Summary by The Odessa Editorial Desk Associated Press , as published by Odessa American (oaoa.com)
· August 7, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: Odessa American (oaoa.com) · view original
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The Odessa Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page Associated Press, as published by Odessa American (oaoa.com) Original story Read at the source Source published Aug 7, 2026 Indexed here Aug 7, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway On average, parents spend 12 hours per week on food prep and cooking, with additional time devoted to meal planning, grocery shopping, and packing school lunches.
A recent survey of parents with school-aged kids has shed light on the time and effort that goes into meal planning and preparation. On average, parents spend 12 hours per week on food prep and cooking, with additional time devoted to meal planning, grocery shopping, and packing school lunches. The survey, which polled 2,000 parents, found that parents spend a significant amount of time keeping their families fed, with a total of 432 hours spent on meal planning and preparation during a school year.
Further details on the survey, including the challenges faced by parents with picky eaters, are available from the source, Talker Research.
Why this matters
Education coverage influences how families evaluate their districts, how voters approach bond elections, and how teachers and administrators set priorities. The Odessa follows local school news because it affects every household with children — and the broader workforce pipeline.
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As published by Odessa American (oaoa.com) . The Odessa surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit Odessa American (oaoa.com) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: schools Published: August 7, 2026 Source: Odessa American (oaoa.com) Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? A recent survey of parents with school-aged kids has shed light on the time and effort that goes into meal planning and preparation. On average, parents spend 12 hours per week on food prep and…
When was this published? This article was first published on August 7, 2026 by Odessa American (oaoa.com) and curated for The Odessa readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Associated Press at Odessa American (oaoa.com). To learn more about how The Odessa selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
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