The Mother of All Health Foods

One successful strategy for increasing nutrition in food products is increasing the presence of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. And now we know that Mom approves.

An in-depth analysis of the 2008 edition of the “Generation X Moms” survey from the Produce for Better Health Foundation, Wilmington, DE, reports American mothers eat fewer servings of fruits and vegetables than they should when compared to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations. What’s key is that the survey suggests moms are ready to introduce more fruits and vegetables into their and their families’ diets.

Preliminary findings show nearly all the moms surveyed say that fresh fruits and vegetables are very healthy, followed by frozen fruits or vegetables, and 100% fruit or vegetable juice. This trend continues with more mothers stating they consider canned fruits and vegetables healthy foods, as well.

The message is clear that moms want to include more fruits and vegetables in their families’ meals every day. However, they feel that practical issues?some that the food industry can address?often prevent them from following through, including:

• A family of fussy eaters, or varying family preferences (64%);

• Fresh produce spoiling too quickly (57%);

• Lack of fruit and vegetable varieties in restaurants (51%).

“Generation X Moms” surveyed 1,000 women between the ages of 24 and 41, all of whom had at least 1 child under the age of 18 in their household. The survey was conducted online in Jan. 2008 by OnSurvey, Richmond Hill, Ontario.