Almonds are Snack of Choice When Urban Affluent Parents in India Look for Nutritious

By Tricitynews Reporter

Chandigarh 17^th July:- Snacking conjures up images of something crunchy, nutritious and healthy, according to majority of urban affluent parents, when they want to toss out the junk food and make snack time happy and healthy for their kids. According to a recent survey by Ipsos, a market research company, about 83% of respondents feel that their kids remain more energetic throughout the day after consuming almonds.

The quantitative study by Ipsos aimed to understand snacking habits among kids aged 6-14 years from the parents’ perspective in Tier I cities vs Tier II cities, whether it’s driven by taste or nutrition or both. The results indicate a growing preference for healthy snacking. However, taste is still a major criterion.

A total of 3038 affluent urban parents between 23-55 years were interviewed across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Nagpur, Bhopal and Coimbatore.

Urban affluent parents, strive to make their children’s snacks yummy, hot and crispy, while also wanting them to be healthy, crunchy, and nutritious, indicating a positive shift in mindset towards healthy snacking.

Ritika Samaddar, popular Delhi based nutritionist, said that this study indicates a promising trend towards healthy snacking with increasing number of affluent parents in urban centers seeing long-term value in maintaining a healthy family lifestyle that includes healthy snacking for their kids. By motivating children to take part in active sports and including healthier snacking options like a handful of almonds every day, parents can play an effective role in their children’s healthy future.

The Ipsos study also found that mothers rank ‘almonds specifically’ (94% of the total respondents) as the healthiest form of snacking. Parents believe that almonds help to boost brain development and are very essential for healthy and stronger bones in addition to providing daily dose of energy.

The findings from the survey also reveal that kids tend to snack more when they are hungry, followed by when they are happy or excited. Seventy percent of respondents prefer to snack mostly in the evenings-; though mid-morning and afternoon snacking is rampant as well. Further, a whopping 94% of the urban affluent parents from Mumbai polled say that they choose healthier options of snacking for their children all the time, followed by Delhi (92%), Nagpur (92%) and Coimbatore (87%).

Sheela Krishnaswamy, a well-known Bangalore based Diet, Nutrition & Wellness Consultant, said that snacking is an effective way to fit much needed nutrients into your child’s diet and if the right kind of food is offered at the right time, snacks can play an important role in managing kids’ hunger and boosting nutrition.  Hence, it is important to incorporate healthy snacking habits by munching on healthier options like fruits or sprouts or a handful of almonds that promote feeling of fullness while also keeping your child energized through the day.  Almonds are a natural source of many essential nutrients, including protein and healthy fats, making them a nutrient-rich snack for your kids.  Furthermore, the survey shows an interesting preference between Tier I and Tier II cities for branded vs homemade snacks. While 50% of the kids in Tier I cities prefer branded foods such as two-minute noodles and oats followed by unbranded foods such as pani-puri; on the contrary half of the surveyed kids in Tier II cities prefer homemade food.

Across cities fruits, biscuits, and almonds are the three most popular snacking options that parents prefer between meals and when hunger strikes their children. Not surprisingly, 91% of mothers in Tier I cities and 97% in Tier II cities rank almonds to be their first choice for their kids when it comes to healthier snacking options.

Madhuri Ruia, Mumbai based nutritionist, said that healthy eating is quite essential for a child's growth and development. Ensuring that your little one is receiving all of the essential vitamins, minerals, protein and calories that he/she needs to grow strong and healthy isn't always easy. Yet, it's important to teach these healthy eating habits early on, considering childhood obesity and diabetes are on rise on account of unhealthy snacking and sedentary lifestyle. In this context, the survey findings indicating higher preference for healthy snacks for kids such as fruits and nuts like almonds across cities and regions are encouraging.