12.01.07
A new survey from Swiss Miss, a product line of ConAgra Foods, Inc., Chicago, IL, shows that when women need a daily boost, most look to chocolate, caffeine and fortified foods. In fact, nearly three out of four women surveyed crave chocolate more than any other sweet and consume caffeine at least once per day, while the majority seeks fortified foods to enhance diets lacking in important vitamins and minerals. The survey of 500 women, aged 25-44, included the following insights into women’s caffeine consumption habits, nutritional needs and sweet cravings: 37% of women look to caffeine for those mid-morning and mid-afternoon lulls in between meals when they need a pick me up; 41% of women have caffeine when first awakening, another 20% mid-morning; 70% say the ideal caffeinated product has to be low in calories and the majority (56%) want it to be sweet; 54% of women say they don’t get enough vitamins and minerals from the foods they eat; more than a third (35%) said they would like to get their essential nutrients from “indulgent” foods; moods affect women’s cravings for chocolate; and 67% of respondents said stress drives cravings, followed by “experiencing PMS” (59%) and “need a pick-me-up” (58%).