Family Consumption of Low Fat Foods: Stated Preference Versus Actual Consumption¹

Food preferences for low fat, low cholesterol foods were obtained directly from 30 mother and child pairs. The food preferences of mothers and children were not related and both were not accurate in estimating each other's food likes. When food preferences of mother and child were correlated with stated frequency of consumption, virtually no relationships emerged. The best predictor of what was being served to the entire family was what the father (husband) liked to eat. These results suggest that dietary interventions in families should include the fathers.