Children Want to Eat Healthy

The past several months' of our issues have featured articles about how Americans are dieting and eating healthier, how restaurants are responding with healthier fare, and how parents, and especially moms, want their children to eat healthy. Now there is research indicating kids are on the healthy eating bandwagon, as well.

KidzEyes, a division of C&R Research in Chicago, conducted an online poll of 3,500 6-14 year-olds in August 2003 and a qualitative study of 400 more kids in October 2003. The results were presented at the Kid Power Conference in December. Some of the results of the research:

  • 70% said kids should eat healthier meals
  • 61% said they like to eat healthy because they will be healthier when they grow older
  • 51% said they really like eating healthy foods

Surprisingly, the youngest children (age 6-8) showed the strongest attitude to healthy eating:

  • 75% said kids should eat healthier meals
  • 68% said they like to eat healthy because they will be healthier when they grow older
  • 58% said they really like eating healthy foods

Kids also know they perform better when they eat healthy:

  • 61% (68% age 6-8) said they do better in sports and activities when they eat healthy foods
  • 48% (59% age 6-8) said they do better in school when they eat healthy.

The kids offered ideas for making healthy foods even more desirable to them. 57% said they would eat a more healthy diet if healthy foods were more fun to eat, and 50% said they would be more likely to eat healthy foods if they came in packages that are more for kids.