2025
9
US Better For You Eating Trends Report 2025
2025-01-28T16:04:04+00:00
REPD5C229B3_3433_4DA7_9BBC_019B7BB046B7
3695
179131
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Report
en_GB
The relationship between diet and physical health is just one piece of wellness. How habits make consumers feel, how they feel in their bodies, the stress of trying to manage…
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  6. US Better For You Eating Trends Report 2025

US Better For You Eating Trends Report 2025

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The relationship between diet and physical health is just one piece of wellness. How habits make consumers feel, how they feel in their bodies, the stress of trying to manage it all and saving room for dessert each add layers that create a complex picture. While consumers’ bandwidth and resources may fluctuate, guiding them to find their own balance – in part by understanding their “better for you” and “healthy eating” definitions – can position brands for longterm relationships.

Consumers increasing effort toward their diet largely cite self-guided habit adjustments, like limiting certain food/drink and focusing on protein, and a sense of DIY through homemade meals. While they do their best to find the balance and products that work for them, brands can capitalize on the “inherently low health halo” while communicating safety and production standards that add color to supply chains.

A holistic understanding of health asks brands to consider how products and recommendations align with mental wellness and the big picture of public health.

Adriana Chychula, Analyst – Food, Drink & Nutrition

Market Definitions

This Report assesses consumer attitudes and behaviors regarding foods positioned as healthy or better-for-you.

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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • What consumers want & why
    • Opportunities
    • Focus on inherent “subtractions” too
    • The value of prevention
    • Increasing value of private label
    • Support consumer wellness through positive routines
    • Graph 1: attitudes toward food and drink, 2024
  2. MARKET DYNAMICS

    • Market context
    • Market drivers
    • Evolving public health landscape will elevate nutrition fundamentals, safety
    • Cost of living contributing to wellness burnout
    • The psychological angle of wellness
    • BFY consumers by the numbers
    • High priority on nutrition information
    • Graph 2: nutrition facts/ingredients list importance, 2024
    • Graph 3: claim importance, 2024
    • High aspirations paint large consumer target
    • Graph 4: changes in effort toward diet, 2024
    • BFY foods are part of the equation
  3. CONSUMER INSIGHTS

    • Consumer fast facts
    • Changes in diet
    • Health is on consumers’ minds
    • Graph 5: changes in effort toward diet, 2024
    • Who is putting more effort in?
    • Moderation and well-rounded, homemade meals lead strategies
    • Graph 6: changes in diet, 2024
    • Cross-generational meal building: start with a protein base
    • Graph 7: changes in diet, by generation, 2024
    • Parental pressures, gendered differences in diet strategies emerge
    • Graph 8: changes in diet, by parental status and gender, 2024
    • Many consumers are just comfortable
    • Graph 9: reasons for not increasing effort toward diet, 2024
    • Help younger consumers balance indulgence
    • Graph 10: reasons for not increasing effort toward diet, by generation, 2024
    • No surprise: parents’ juggling is a barrier
    • Graph 11: reasons for not increasing effort toward diet, by parental status and gender, 2024
    • “Healthy eating” definitions
    • Mostly fresh, not too restrictive
    • Graph 12: “healthy eating” definitions, 2024
    • Generations unified by desire for balance
    • Graph 13: “healthy eating” definition, by generation, 2024
    • Parents want quality assurance
    • Graph 14: “healthy eating” definition, by gender and parental status, 2024
    • “Better for you” definitions
    • A naturally-low health halo
    • Graph 15: “better for you” definitions, 2024
    • Unify generations with balance between additions and subtractions
    • Graph 16: “better for you” definitions, by generation, 2024
    • Parents value backstories, impact
    • Graph 17: “better for you” definitions, by parental status and gender, 2024
    • Interest in brand initiatives
    • Whole-food-led nutrition
    • Graph 18: interest in BFY brand initiatives, 2024
    • Older consumers demonstrate food-forward preferences
    • Graph 19: interest in brand initiatives, by generation, 2024
    • Parents want it all
    • Graph 20: interest in brand initiatives, by parental status and gender, 2024
    • Opinions toward food and drink
    • Strained and wary
    • Graph 21: opinions toward food and drink, 2024
    • Younger consumers most overwhelmed by trends
    • Graph 22: opinions toward food and drink, by generation, 2024
    • Capture parents’ whim purchase
    • Graph 23: opinions toward food and drink, by parental status and gender, 2024
    • Attitudes toward BFY eating trends
    • Brands and healthfulness not necessarily related
    • Graph 24: attitudes toward food and drink, 2025
    • Younger consumers have a complicated relationship with wellness
    • Graph 25: attitudes toward food and drink, by generation, 2024
    • Desire for simplicity underpins parents’ attitudes
    • Graph 26: attitudes toward food and drink, by parental status and gender, 2024
  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES

    • Launch activity and innovation
    • Hain Celestial innovates in BFY space
    • Walmart launches bettergoods
    • Cottage cheese’s moment
    • Convenient veggies
  5. APPENDIX

    • Market definition
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Generations
    • Abbreviations and terms

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