Mothers’ reflections on family food habits post pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic altered daily family routines, with the family food environment especially likely to be affected. Little is known about how families have adapted over time. The objective of the current study was to explore how family food habits evolved three years after COVID-19 was designated a pandemic. Mothers participated in an interview between March and April 2023. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcripts. Thirty mothers participated (97% lived in the Central Valley in California; 43% Hispanic). Themes were identified around changes in mealtime frequency, eating habits including snacking, screen time during mealtimes, and weight gain. While some unhealthy habits established during the pandemic improved, others persisted three years later. Maternal snacking, concerns about child weight gain, and overall screen time lessened after the pandemic ended, but child snacking behaviors, maternal weight gain concerns, and screen time during mealtimes continued. This research expands on the existing COVID-19 literature by examining lingering effects of the pandemic on family food habits. Findings may be helpful for health practitioners working with families to understand food related changes post-pandemic, especially those that have been particularly resistant to change.