October 19/Chicago/Business Wire -- Healthy eating is on the minds of many moms, but it is their eating habits and nutritional knowledge that have the most bearing on what their children eat, according to The NPD Group . Recent NPD food industry market research finds that in households with kids, when the adult female has a good Healthy Eating Index (HEI), a measure of diet quality similar to federal dietary guidance, the majority of kids in the household are eating just as well.
Although moms' healthy eating behaviors impact how their children eat, moms' attitudes about nutritional eating often do not necessarily align with actual behavior, according to the NPD report, "What's on the Minds of Moms and How Are They Coping." Three-fourths of new moms and 65% of experienced moms say they actively seek out foods with nutrition benefits. The study finds, however, that moms are less likely to actually eat foods with nutrition benefits.