Quantifying the Impact of Food Preparation Skills among College Women

Food preparation practices have changed dramatically in the past fifty years. This study was designed to quantify food preparation knowledge and practices of college women, to asses the reasons why they do not prepare certain foods, and to determine the frequency of eating outside the home. Distinct food preparation ability emerged (high, medium, and low) form a comprehensive list of food. The two dominant reasons for being unable to prepare basic foods were they had never been taught (knowledge barrier) and they had no interest in learning (attitude barrier). Most of the college women ate food prepared outside the home 1-3 times per week. Even though each generation does less cooking than the previous one, food choice still makes a significant contribution to health status. ********** In the United States, food preparation practices have changed dramatically in the past fifty years. Families and individuals live in a fast-paced society and thus, home-prepared meals are not produced on a regular basis. Nevertheless, food choices have a great impact on a family's health status. Background Health Implications The inability to produce meals at home results in several consequences. When eating outside the home, both food choice and nutrition quality are affected. (1) When food is obtained away from home, it is generally higher in fat and cholesterol. (1) Eating meals at home is associated with increased fruit and vegetable intake and less fried food and soda consumption as compared to eating in restaurants. (2) Nutrient intake is also compromised when meal preparation is relinquished to restaurants, pizza shops, fast food chains,, and even pre-prepared food in supermarkets. Home prepared meals are higher in several nutrients, including fiber, calcium, folate, iron, and vitamins B6, B12, C and [E.sup. 2]. Similarly, home-prepared meals are lower in cholesterol, saturated and trans-fatty acids compared to restaurant meals. (1,2) Thus, eating at home tends to remove barriers to healthful food selection. Time Implications The reality of modern times is that individuals rarely prepare meals from recipes. "Ingredient and scratch cooking" are down for the fifth consecutive year and the number of ingredients and utensils used to prepare a meal is at a record low. (3) Ten years ago, 64% of dinners had at least one home-prepared item vs. 55% today? By 2030, the ideal preparation time for a meal is predicted to be less than 15 minutes. (3) Likewise, predictions for weekend recreational cooking suggest a continued decline. (3) Contemporary American households consisting of adults 18-65 years of age, were surveyed to determine dominant food preparation trends. (4) Consumers wanted food choices which were identified as 1) delicious, 2) nutritious, 3) convenient, and 4) quick to prepare. (4) Ninety percent of Americans reported that they purchased more timesaving food products now compared to only two years ago. (4) Approximately 33 % of the survey respondents admitted they were "too tired to cook" and three percent candidly admitted they did not even know hot to cook. (4) Thus, over one-third of the adults in this survey did not make food preparation at home a priority. Franciscy, McArthur, and Holbert (2004) surveyed college men to asses their attitudes and behaviors regarding food preparation? The three most common food preparation methods were microwaving, toasting, and grilling. The average length of time required to prepare breakfast was 7 minutes, lunch required 11 minutes, and dinner was prepared in 26 minutes. The majority of the college men in their survey wanted to learn more about food preparation. College women were the focus of this research. In reviewing the literature, limited information was found on specific food preparation skills of young women (18 to 24 years of age). This study was designed with three purposes: 1) to quantify food preparation knowledge and practices of college women, 2) to assess the reasons why they do not prepare certain foods, and 3) to determine frequency of dining in a restaurant, ordering take-out, or home-delivered food. …