Healthy foods for kids

One of the leading global market research companies, Ipsos’s recent worldwide study shows that the top benefits parents want their children to receive (globally) from eating healthy foods relate to heart health, reduced risk of disease, brain development and immunity.

Survey of parents from 24 countries was given a list of benefits their children may receive from eating healthy foods and asked to rank which benefits were most important. On a global basis, healthy heart (23 percent) was ranked highest in importance, followed closely by reduced risk of disease later in life, better brain development and better immunity(18 percent each). Meanwhile Indian parents want better brain development (24 percent), followed by better Immunity (20 percent), healthy heart and reduced risk of disease later in life (both 13 percent) from healthy foods for kids.

According to Sonia Pall, CEO, Ipsos India, “It is not surprising that parents in different countries have different motivations for feeding their children healthy foods. They are influenced by their unique value systems, the availability of different foods and medicines in their countries, and the messages they receive from their local media and governments. Interestingly, governments not only influence consumers, but also exert an increasing influence on food manufacturers.”

“Manufacturers are feeling the pressure from all angles to market healthier food to children,” continues Sonia. “Parents are demanding nutritious and functional foods to serve their children while new regulations are restricting marketing efforts for less healthy food options. At the same time, manufacturers need to appeal to children by offering great-tasting food with ‘kid appeal’, as children still influence food purchases in many countries.”