The primary challenge facing food and drink brands is the need to address nutritional concerns while navigating consumers’ diverse and evolving dietary preferences and health trends.
Children’s Food and Drink Market — Current Landscape
Despite challenges, there are significant opportunities to innovate, particularly in developing products that cater to the rising trend of health-conscious consumption, including low-, no-, and reduced sugar and plant-based options.
Technological advancements, such as sugar conversion technology, are expected to play a crucial role in the market by 2030. Brands that can successfully integrate these innovations and maintain transparent communication with parents are poised to thrive in this transforming segment.
Children’s Food and Drink — Market Statistics
- Parent’s Attitudes Towards Children’s Diets: 93% of German parents feel capable of educating their children on healthy eating, yet 51% are concerned about possible nutritional deficiencies in their children’s diets.
- Parent’s Behaviour Concerning Their Children’s Diet: Although over 50% of parents emphasise the importance of setting dietary rules, only 29% support hiding unhealthy foods. Hence, brands must adopt a sophisticated approach that considers familial values as well as dietary habits.
Parents’ Attitudes Towards Children’s Food and Drink Research — What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analysed in this Report
- Parents’ behaviour regarding teaching healthy eating habits to their children by leading through example.
- Consumer preferences in varied diets, with low sugar claims serving as a key differentiator for parental engagement.
- Parents’ attitudes towards involving children in cooking and opportunities for kid-friendly meal kits or prepared ingredients.
- Millennial Parents: The influence of busy, work-oriented lifestyles and social media on eating habits and dietary choices.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Adam Millward, Research Analyst. Adam joined Mintel’s German reports team in 2023 as an Associate Research analyst, having previously worked as a translator and interpreter at an international tax firm. Adam graduated from the University of Kent with a degree in German language and literature, including a study placement at the University of Heidelberg.
Brands must address parents’ nutritional concerns through innovative, health-focused products while aligning with evolving dietary trends and values.
Adam Millward
Research Analyst — Mintel Reports
Collapse All
-
- Report in a test format
- What are you looking for today?
- Listen rather than read
-
OVERVIEW
- Brands have challenges and opportunities to meet the nutritional needs of tomorrow’s families
- Three key insights on parents’ attitudes towards children’s food and drink
- Analyst opinion: indulge bullish parents, but be aware of their flaws
-
INSIGHTS
- Guide parents and children to more varied diets
- Parents are bullish about providing for their children’s health
- Parents want to take the lead in healthy eating
- Key data
- Empower parents as nutritional consultants
- Evolve ‘hidden veggies’ into easier-to-use formats for better dietary variety
- L/N/R sugar has scope to maximise parental approval
- Marketers need to speak to parents with understanding and authority
- Market inspiration: further considerations for children’s health
- Mintel predicts: tech will become entrenched in dietary health
- Arm children with practical cooking skills
- Parents are willing to lend their children cooking responsibility – and brands can help
- Parents are keen to develop their children’s kitchen skills
- Key data
- Make cooking into a parent-child activity
- Build in tactile features to acquaint children with ‘real food’ textures
- Incorporate challenges to help children broaden their culinary horizons
- Marketers can communicate time-savings and safety to parents cooking with children
- Offer more support to get children cooking safely
- Market inspiration: opportunities to get children involved in the kitchen
- Mintel predicts: technology will rule in the kitchen, but at the expense of cooking skills
- Prepare for Gen Alpha, Beta and beyond
- Give Gen Alpha space for dietary exploration – but with clear guard rails
- Millennials parent differently to Gen Xers
- Key data
- Feed Gen Alpha’s health literacy with kidified nutrition on pack
- Belly Bugs: gamifying good gut health
- Shapeshifting food formats can align with hectic lifestyles
- Guide Gen Alpha towards a healthier outlook on diets and their bodies
- Marketers must embrace the chaos of parenthood
- Prepare for a generation of autonomous, highly attuned children
- Market inspiration: early years nutritional education
- Mintel predicts: Gen Alpha’s diets will reflect their worldview
-
INNOVATION AND MARKETING
- German launches excel at speaking to children’s needs and parents wants
- Launch activity
- Vegan claims grow steadily across children’s food
- Graph 1: children’s food & drink launches, by vegan, vegetarian and plant-based claims, 2020-24
- Vegan foods subtly speak to plant-based children
- High/added claims are thin on the ground
- Graph 2: children’s food & drink launches, by select ‘plus’ claims, 2020-24
- L/N/R sugar claims across food categories
- Graph 3: children’s food & drink launches, by L/N/R sugar claims, 2020-24
- Jarred sauces offer an avenue to ‘hide’ dietary nutrients
- Social media links appear on more children’s food and drink launches
- Graph 4: children’s food & drink launches with social media and cobranded claims, 2020-24
- Nickelodean Paw Patrol products launch into the German market
- Iglo taps into parents’ summertime nostalgia
- Advertising and communication
- The Collective embraces the chaos of modern parenthood
- Rügenwalde Mühle’s video explainers decodify plant-based eating
- Brands buy into Minecraft frenzy with time-limited launches
-
DATA
- Consumer data
- Market drivers
- The key factors driving this market
-
APPENDIX
- Definition
- Consumer research methodology
- Abbreviations
- A note on language
Market Intelligence Made Easier With Mintel
The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:
- Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
- Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
- Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
- Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.
What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
The Four Pillars of Our Research
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
- Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
- Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
- Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
- Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.
Bringing It All Together
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
For a closer look at a Mintel Market Intelligence Report, take a look at the sample PDF report below:
Please Note: All of the figures, graphs, and tables in this sample report have been redacted.
£ 2,195 (Excl.Tax)
-
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or purchase order
-
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
-
Interactive databook included
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook avaliable on our platform
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn moreTrusted by global industry leaders
We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.
Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.
Marie Stafford, European Director, The Innovation Group, VML
We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.
By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.
For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.
Virginia Harvey, Secondary Research Manager, Epsilon
Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.
It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.
Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom
Working in a customer-obsessed organization means that data and insights have to be at our fingertips. Mintel’s reports help us support anecdotes with real quantifiable insights. The summary sections (which I really like) helps save time by giving a birds eye view of the content before spending time combing through the pages.
Our business review discussions are strengthened by the relevancy of the reports to help us better understand our customers. In addition, the customer service received from the team (especially in crunch periods) makes the process of understanding customer behavior even better.
Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, Senior Marketing Manager, Amazon
When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.
They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.
So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.
Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
