2026
9
US Vegetables Market Report 2026
2026-09-18T16:02:24+00:00
REPAA233505_6EAC_4564_A335_056EAC356418
3695
196294
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Report
en_GB
The US vegetables market is already deeply embedded in consumers' diets, creating a growth challenge that is less about driving category entry and more about expanding usage, frequency and value.
US
Fruit and Vegetables
simple

US Vegetables Market Report 2026

The US vegetables market is already deeply embedded in consumers' diets, creating a growth challenge that is less about driving category entry and more about expanding usage, frequency and value.

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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for vegetables
    • Opportunities
    • Where vegetables can win next
    • Educate consumers on how to give vegetables a second life
    • From survival staple to culinary choice
    • Healthy convenience is the category’s sweet spot
  2. THE MARKET

    • Snapshot – market size and forecast
    • Consumers and the economic outlook
    • Market factors
    • Global and regional shifts put pressure on the vegetable market…
    • …but advances in agricultural technology can improve supply reliability
    • Cyclospora makes food safety hard to “ignore-a”
    • Climate change is rewriting the vegetable growing calendar
    • Graph 1: change in length of growing season (days), by top fruit and vegetable growing states, 1895-2020
    • Tariffs may change, but supply risks remain
    • Labor shortages put pressure on vegetable production
    • Industry consolidation reshapes the shelf-stable vegetable landscape
    • Market size and forecast
    • Growth will come from frequency, not first-time buyers
    • Market size and forecast of vegetables
    • Graph 2: total retail sales and forecast of vegetables, at current prices, 2021-31
    • Total retail sales and forecast of vegetables, at current prices
    • Market segmentation
    • Convenience and longevity fuel the category’s next chapter
    • Graph 3: Total retail sales and forecast of vegetables, by segment, at current prices, 2021-31
    • Total retail sales and forecast of vegetables, by segment, at current prices, 2021-31
    • Market share/brand share
    • Private label gains ground in a highly substitutable category
    • Graph 4: multi-outlet sales of vegetables, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2023-26
    • US: MULO+ sales of vegetables, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2025 and 2026
    • The winners are selling solutions, not just vegetables
    • Private label is winning today, but differentiation could drive tomorrow’s growth
    • Graph 5: types of vegetables typically purchased, by generation, 2026
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Vegetables are a universally purchased category, but not all consumers engage the same way
    • When everyone buys, differentiation will have to come from experience
    • Vegetables flex between leading and supporting roles
    • Graph 6: vegetable uses, by format, 2026
    • Most consumers stick to a familiar rotation
    • Graph 7: repertoire of vegetable purchase, by select demographics, 2026
    • Older consumers buy ingredients, younger consumers buy solutions
    • Graph 8: types of vegetables purchased, by generation, 2026
    • Practical constraints shape younger consumers’ baskets
    • Freshness is the category’s most valuable growth lever
    • The biggest barrier appears after checkout
    • Graph 9: barriers to purchasing vegetables, 2026
    • Freshness is no longer just an operational metric
    • Reducing waste starts with building confidence
    • Graph 10: barriers to purchasing vegetables, by generation, 2026
    • Graph 11: repertoire of vegetable preparation methods used, by generation, 2026
    • Convenience matters, but younger consumers still want to cook
    • Graph 12: preparation methods of vegetables, by generation, 2026
    • Convenience offers the clearest path to expanding vegetable occasions
    • When the challenge is not health, but hassle
    • Younger generations redefine when vegetables fit in
    • Graph 13: vegetable behaviors, by generation, 2026
    • Reduce friction with vegetables to drive frequency
    • Graph 14: types of vegetable products consumers are interested in seeing more of, by generation, 2026
    • Vegetables become more compelling when they do more
    • From healthy obligation to culinary ingredient
    • Vegetables are ingredients of choice, not just an obligation
    • Graph 15: reasons for purchasing vegetables, 2026
    • Consumers want more than another serving
    • Graph 16: attitudes toward vegetables, 2026
    • Vegetables haven’t yet earned a default role among younger consumers
    • Graph 17: reasons for purchasing vegetables, by generation, 2026
    • Vegetables must compete with a growing wellness toolkit
    • Graph 18: changes in VMS use, by generation, 2023
    • Global cuisines reveal a bigger role for vegetables
    • Graph 19: select attitudes toward vegetables, by race/ethnicity, 2026
  4. PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Vegetable snacking grows beyond baby carrots
    • Putting taste at the center of the vegetable experience
    • From plate filler to flavor booster
    • Vegetables become a passport to flavor
    • New formats create new reasons to eat vegetables
    • Vegetables reclaim their wellness credentials
  5. APPENDIX

    • Market definition
    • The market
    • Forecast methodology
    • Forecast methodology – fan chart
    • Total retail sales and forecast of vegetables, at inflation-adjusted prices
    • Average annual household spending on vegetables, 2021-26
    • Total retail sales of vegetables, by segment, at current prices, 2024 and 2026
    • Total retail sales and forecast of fresh vegetables, at current prices
    • Total retail sales and forecast of fresh vegetables, at inflation-adjusted prices
    • Total retail sales and forecast of frozen vegetables, at current prices
    • Total retail sales and forecast of frozen vegetables, at inflation-adjusted prices
    • Total retail sales and forecast of shelf-stable vegetables, at current prices
    • Total retail sales and forecast of shelf-stable vegetables, at inflation-adjusted prices
    • Total retail sales of vegetables, by channel, at current prices, 2019-25
    • Total retail sales of vegetables, by channel, at current prices, 2024 and 2026
    • Supermarket sales of vegetables, at current prices, 2021-26
    • Sales of vegetables through other retail channels, at current prices, 2021-26
    • US: MULO+ sales of frozen vegetables, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2025 and 2026
    • US: MULO+ sales of shelf-stable vegetables, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2025 and 2026
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Repertoire analysis methodology
    • Generation groups
    • Abbreviations and terms
Download Report Summary

"Vegetables' future growth will be defined not by what consumers buy, but by how seamlessly vegetables fit into increasingly convenience-driven, flavor-focused lifestyles."

Julia Mills, Food & Drink Analyst

Julia Mills, Food & Drink Analyst

The US vegetables market is already deeply embedded in consumers’ diets, creating a growth challenge that is less about driving category entry and more about expanding usage, frequency and value. Fresh vegetables are purchased by 89% of consumers, yet spoilage remains the category’s biggest barrier, cited by 34% of buyers, while 44% express interest in vegetables designed to stay fresh longer. Growth will come from helping consumers waste less, prepare vegetables more easily and engage with new value-added formats.

Convenience-led solutions will also be a factor for future growth: 61% wish vegetables were easier to incorporate into quick meals and 55% are more likely to purchase vegetables when recipe inspiration is provided. Millennials and Gen Z are driving demand for flavor-forward and innovative formats, creating opportunities to premiumize through snacks, globally inspired products and ready-to-cook solutions.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • Types of vegetables purchased
  • Ways consumers eat vegetables and vegetable-based products
  • Methods used to prepare vegetables
  • Motivations for purchasing vegetables
  • Barriers to purchasing vegetables
  • Vegetable products consumers are interested in trying or purchasing
  • Consumer attitudes toward vegetables

Market Definitions

This Report covers the US market for fruits and vegetables, which are defined as follows:

  • Fresh vegetables – including whole vegetables (loose and packaged), such as potatoes, carrots and spinach
  • Shelf-stable vegetables – including canned/jarred vegetables and dried vegetables such as mushrooms or beans
  • Frozen vegetables – including bagged/boxed vegetables in the freezer section
  • Unless otherwise noted, the following foods are excluded from the scope of this Report:
  • Vegetable juices, drinks or smoothies
  • Refrigerated prepared side dishes that include vegetables
  • Tomato sauce, paste and puree and tomato or vegetable-based pasta/cooking sauces
  • Instant potatoes
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