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Back-to-basics nutrition & healthy indulgence
The desire to improve dietary habits is resulting in consumers adopting a back-to-basics approach to nutrition
When looking to improve their dietary habits, many Europeans are looking to adopt a back-to-basics approach to nutrition, focusing more on scratch cooking and eating fresh products that they deem to be natural and nutritious, safe and trustworthy, and crucially, tasty and affordable. This is a trend that is also being driven by changing lifestyles, and de-centralization meaning that consumers have more time to spend in the kitchen and at local/specialty stores.
This means it is crucial that brands fully educate consumers about the array of functional ingredients – and related benefits – that can be found in everyday food and drink products.
You state that you have changed your diet in the last two years What have you done? (2021) 20% Top five answers – consumers who have made changes to their diets
Increased my intake of fruits
Eaten more fresh food
Increased my intake of omega 3
Reduced sugar intake
Increased my intake of protein 71%
65%
60%
59%
55%
2020
2022 How would you describe your diet?
68%
59%
22% 26%
Flexitarian 2% 3%
Pescatarian 7% 9%
Vegetarian 2% 3%
Vegan I regularly consume meat/dairy
Snacking habits continue to evolve and become more considered
Snacking habits in Europe are becoming more considered and complex, as consumers seek out moments of indulgence whilst wanting to ensure that such occasions do not conflict with wider health goals. This is driving demand for sports nutrition products amongst everyday consumers, who are looking to substitute traditional snacking options for better-for-you alternatives.
As a result of this, there is an opportunity to extend the range of functional claims within the market beyond claims associated with performance, such as immunity-boosting. At the same time, the taste and texture of such products will be just as important as the volume, quality, and source of protein.
