hot dog with mustard
Mayukh Saha
Mayukh Saha
January 20, 2024 ·  3 min read

40 Percent Of American Kids Think Hot Dogs And Bacon Are Plants

Last year a study took the internet by storm. No, the study did not reveal a groundbreaking cure for cancer or how to end world hunger. What the study did show, however, was that a large percentage of American kids believe hot dogs, bacon, and other foods come from plants. Yes, you read that right. The study was published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology. In it scientists asked 4 to 7-year-old children to categorize foods according to their origin. The foods included French fries, cheese, popcorn, bacon, almonds, shrimp, and eggs.

Out of 176 participants, 47% were of the opinion that French fries came from animals. Remarkably a large percentage of the children thought that various foods were plant-based when they were not. 40% thought hot dogs were plant-based, while 44% and 41% thought cheese and bacon were also plant-based. Interestingly, chicken nuggets met the same fate as well. This was particularly surprising considering the food has chicken in the name. In their reports, the team mentioned, “Popcorn and almonds were also commonly misclassified each by more than 30% of children.”

A Lack of Education for American Kids?

The study focused on the knowledge children had about their foods. The team asked the children to look at several plants and animals. After that, they had to select which were edible- and which were not. Surprisingly, 77% of them thought cows weren’t edible, while 65% thought that chicken wasn’t food, and sand was apparently edible according to 1%. 

The lead author of this study went on to suggest, “One reason that children may lack basic food knowledge is because so many of them have very little exposure to how food is grown. With fewer and older Americans farming, the number of children in the United States who live on working farms has dwindled.

The study demonstrates that at an early age children are confused about the food they eat. However, this may be an opportunity more than anything.

“Most children in the United States […] eat animal products, but unlike adults who have built up an arsenal of strategies to justify the consumption of animals, children appear to be naïve meat eaters,” the study mentioned in the discussion section. “The current study suggests that children eat meat unknowingly, and perhaps in violation of a bias against animals as a food source. Childhood may therefore represent a unique window of opportunity during which lifelong plant-based diets can be more easily established compared to later in life.”

Read: Why Americans Refrigerate Their Milk Even Though Much of the World Doesn’t

A Deeper Societal Cause

When it comes to young American kids this study demonstrates that there is a disconnection between where food comes from and how it ends up on their plates, and that disconnection may be, in part, due to parents. They may be withholding information from children thinking its too ‘unpleasant’ for them to know where meat really comes from.

The authors mention, “Parents may deliberately withhold information about the animal slaughter in an attempt to safeguard children’s innocence. It might have been done viewing the realities of meat production as too gruesome for children to know at a young age.” While one can appreciate the sentiment behind it, it also hints at a gap in a child’s education. For example, suppose one were to inform a child that a hamburger came from a cow. This may be confusing for the child as they may think that cows grow or make the hamburger themselves.

The author also says that partial information can lead to early dietary preferences in kids. If they fail to understand the link between meat and animals, their preferences could have a detrimental impact on the environment. This would be even more prudent as they would be more resistant to change in the future. But- all is not lost. When the researchers were conducting the same study on kids between the ages of 6 and 7, the results were positive. Apparently, it has been suggested that the food knowledge a child has leaps quite a bit between the ages of 4 and 7. Nevertheless, even older kids aren’t completely knowledgeable about the idea of animals as food. 

The team believes that kids need a basic understanding of food by the age of 7. And this lesson needs to be taught by their family.

Keep Reading: The Pros and Cons of Sleeping With a Fan

Sources

  1. Children are unsuspecting meat eaters: An opportunity to address climate change.” Science Direct. Erin R.Hahn, et al.
  2. A Surprising Number of Kids in The US Think Hot Dogs Are Actually This.” Science Alert. Carly Cassella.