Walmart puts food at the centre of back-to-school campaign

For many parents, back to school means the return of juggling schedules and trying to get lunches packed and dinner on the table.

Walmart is aiming to help parents at meal times with its new Twice as Tasty guide. In a Leger survey commissioned by the big box retailer, 78% of Canadian parents admitted rushing to get dinner on the table is an ongoing challenge. Meal planning and preparation take at least 30 minutes for most parents (82%), with dinner taking the most time, followed by lunch.

The Twice as Tasty guide, available on Walmart.ca, features easy-to-make recipes that parents can “prep once, enjoy twice.” The idea is that parents can prep a school lunch for kids and set aside some of the items for dinner.

According to Walmart, repurposing key ingredients would help keep the weekly menu interesting and also helps parents maximize meal prep, which 85% of parents would like to save time on.

In doing the survey, Walmart “wanted to gain some additional insights about busy Canadian families, but also provide them with useful resources,” said Paul Del Duca, senior vice-president, fresh foods at Walmart Canada.

“The Twice as Tasty report is tackling some of the biggest stressors that parents face: meal preparation and specifically, lunch and dinner preparation during the week… If we can give our customers even a few minutes back each day with meal preparation, we know that’s valuable.”

The survey also found one-third (33%) of parents get meal inspiration from grocery retailers. “We certainly see an opportunity to provide a bit of inspiration there, and we need to make that content shareable, too, because more than half (55%) of parents ask family and friends for meal ideas,” said Del Duca.

This article first appeared on MarketingMag.ca