Consumer participation in German foodservice has risen to 77% in 2025 (+3pp YoY), even as menu prices grew 4%. Notably, the share of those choosing a balance of healthy and…
Germany
Foodservice
simple
Germany Menu Trends: Healthy Dining 2026
"Harness the rising importance of social health by partnering with community-led fitness groups. Go beyond the protein trend and celebrate seasonal and local superfoods."
Eliana Riera-McInnes, Foodservice Research Analyst
Consumer participation in German foodservice has risen to 77% in 2025 (+3pp YoY), even as menu prices grew 4%. Notably, the share of those choosing a balance of healthy and less healthy dishes has reached 45% (+4pp YoY), now surpassing those mainly choosing less healthy options. This signals a shift toward health-aligned behaviours, likely catalysed by improving economic sentiment. With the return of the reduced 7% VAT rate and easing inflation, operators are expected to gain the financial room to move from survival mode toward more health-forward menu innovation.
49% of foodservice consumers recognise having four or more ingredients as a sign of a dish being healthy, reflecting a ‘more is more’ perception. This creates opportunities to champion ingredient variety – from seasonal and local superfoods to pulses, nuts, seeds and overlooked cuts – introducing new components that add novelty and support more diverse, balanced diets.
71% of German adults are actively managing their weight, and this is already influencing behaviour, with reduced foodservice visiting frequency among those trying to lose weight. Renewed cultural focus on thinness linked to GLP-1 drugs is reinforcing this shift. Operators can respond with smaller portions, clearer nutritional cues and functional, nutrient-relevant dishes that align with consumers’ goals while retaining appeal.
This report looks at the following areas:
Macroeconomic pressures vs recovering confidence: impact of VAT cut and easing inflation
Shift from indulgence to balanced enjoyment: rise in nutrient-rich preferences, protein and fibre focus
Weight management acceleration: GLP-1 discussion, portion control, exercise-linked menu demand
Social wellbeing as driver: communal fitness groups, brunch boom, shareable menus
Ingredient diversity: consumer openness to broader ingredients, with a chance for seasonal and local superfoods
Digital enablement: macro calculators, algorithmic menu nudges, ClassPass food integration
Plant-based plateau and flexitarian mainstreaming: rebranding of vegan concepts, protein hero across categories
Harness the importance of sharing food as a social ritual to promote holistic wellbeing in foodservice
Build on consumer trust to drive healthier choices
Champion ingredient diversity by tapping into overlooked ingredients…
…and leveraging data-driven recommendations
THE MARKET
Consumer confidence is recovering but remains fragile
VAT relief for foodservice could fuel healthier menu innovation
Social health is an increasingly important aspect of holistic health
Growing focus on weight management
Graph 1: weight management intentions, 2024-25
The rise of GLP-1 drugs rekindles focus on weight loss and thinness
Social media drives interest in high protein claims, but diversity will win in the long term
Graph 2: health priorities of 16-34s when shopping for groceries, 2021-25
THE CONSUMER
Popular mealtimes in foodservice
Greater eating out drives slight uptick in foodservice participation
Recovery across several age demographics
Graph 3: any eaten out or ordered takeaway/home delivery, by age, 2024-25
Brunch continues to gain ground
Graph 4: meals eaten out for or ordered for takeaway/home delivery in the last three months – NET, 2024-25
Capitalise on the weekend brunch opportunity
The rising importance of balance in menu choices
Germans are opting for more balanced menu choices
Long-term health concerns likely drive the move towards balanced enjoyment
Protein is significantly more important for brunchers
Look beyond the protein trend
Prepare for more selective indulgence that aligns with holistic health
Hone in on healthy menu innovation in mains
Graph 5: types of dishes where a healthy option is most likely to be chosen, by type of dishes ordered when eating out or ordering takeaway/home delivery – NET, 2025
Key markers of health in menus
Changing health trends make healthy choices more difficult for many
Cut through the noise of online health trends
Fresh fruit and veg are main markers of health in menus
Graph 6: ingredients most likely to make a dish seem healthy when eating out or ordering takeaway/home delivery, 2025
Scope to promote the importance of ingredient diversity in dishes
Use novelty as a gateway to foster greater ingredient diversity in dishes
Older women most likely to associate a wider set of ingredients with healthfulness
Graph 7: repertoire of ingredients most likely to make a dish seem healthy when eating out or ordering takeaway/home delivery, by gender, 2025
Weight management menu trends
Weight loss goals have the greatest impact on visiting frequency
Smaller portions will help support weight loss intentions and selective indulgence
Portion control could offer operators a chance to charge more for less in the weight loss/GLP-1 era
Demand for menu items that support training regimes
Capitalise on the synergy between active lifestyles and food and drink choices
INNOVATION AND MARKETING
Indulgent foodservice brands craft menu items that align with health-conscious lifestyles
Despite the protein trend, high protein claims in German foodservice remain limited to health-forward outlets
Expect protein to become a hero ingredient beyond health outlets, following the lead of international markets
Exclusively plant-based restaurants lose steam
Fitness events centred around community and food are gaining traction
Fitness-app ClassPass expands into food and drink
APPENDIX
Report scope
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology
Repertoire analysis methodology
Germany’s generation groups
Other data source methodologies
Mintel Spark
Abbreviations
A note on language – Germany
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