Moms-to-Be Likely to Want Natural/Organic Foods: Whole Foods Survey

AUSTIN, Texas -- As Whole Foods Market here officially launches its Whole Baby program and educational lecture series, the natural and organic foods supermarket is also sharing findings from an online consumer survey it commissioned to evaluate the attitudes and concerns of expectant and new moms. Surveyed moms-to-be were more likely to take vitamins and consume less caffeine; and almost 25 percent said they started eating natural and organic foods during pregnancy.

More than two-thirds (68 percent) of expectant mothers today willingly make changes to their eating habits after becoming pregnant. Altered habits that topped the list:
-- Taking vitamins (82 percent)
-- Consuming less or no caffeine (80 percent)
-- Avoiding artificial sweeteners (49 percent)

Seventy-eight percent of women having their first child are likely to change the types of foods they eat, while 63 percent of women who have given birth previously are likely to do so. Furthermore, 26 percent of those who changed their diet during pregnancy started eating more natural and organic foods, according to Whole Foods.

Forty-two percent of all expectant and new moms deemed eating natural or organic products important, and 37 percent believe there are health advantages to natural and organic foods. On the other hand, 38 percent said they don't know or are not sure about the health advantages of natural and organic foods.

Whole Foods said to address the concerns and interests of new mothers, it has developed the Whole Baby program in conjunction with Mothering magazine. One component of the program is the Whole Baby lecture series, which kicks-off on Sept. 22, in New York City. The series provides moms-to-be with practical tips for nurturing a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, the retailer said.

In the lectures, Whole Foods' top nutritionist Jody Villecco, and Mothering's natural parenting resource editor Kimber Pasquali, will discuss dietary building blocks and food preparation tips for healthy mothers and babies; suggest body care for pregnancy pampering; and offer advice on breastfeeding, baby care, and natural products. Other cities on the lecture tour are Philadelphia, Chicago, and Atlanta. Expectant mothers are asked to register for the free, limited-seating lectures at http://www.wholebabylecture.com.

GCI Group and Equation Research conducted the online survey in June 2005. The sample consisted of expectant moms currently pregnant or new moms with children not older than six months, randomly selected from a licensed research-only panel in the continental United States. A total of 2,344 surveys were completed.
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