Key findings:
- 1 in 3 Americans show greater commitment to healthier eating since the beginning of the pandemic
- Nutritional value and price leading criteria for food purchases, but Gen Z has higher standards compared to older generations
- 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. are currently on a diet, led by low-carb, no-sugar, and intermittent fasting
- Recent health food trends (i.e. alternative drinks, non-dairy milk, plant-based alternatives) most popular among Gen Z, with nearly 1 in 3 having tried plant-based meat alternatives
- Majority of consumers show high willingness to pay a premium for healthier food, but more hesitant to support social and sustainability causes
1 in 3 adults in the U.S. show greater commitment to healthier eating since the beginning of the pandemic
More than one in three (37%) people say they are focusing more on eating healthier since the start of the pandemic, with Gen Zers at the forefront. Gen Zs are especially health-conscious, with half citing an increased focus on their diet throughout the pandemic.
One in three (34%) consumers say they ‘always’ look for healthier alternatives for the food they eat, while roughly half (53%) say they ‘sometimes’ do so. Health foods such as alternative drinks, plant-based food alternatives, and non-dairy milk are most popular. One in five (21%) have tried meat alternatives such as Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods. Gen Zers, once again, lead all age cohorts in food trend participation.
Nutritional value and price leading criteria for food purchases, but Gen Z has higher standards compared to older generations
The majority of consumers cite nutritional value and price as the most important factors when purchasing food (61%), followed by taste (51%). Gen Z’s food purchasing preferences, however, go beyond nutrition and price. Taste is equally important to them as nutrition and value, while convenience, food safety, and brand values are also greater priorities to this group than Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers.
Nearly half (48%) of consumers look for food certification labels when purchasing food; Organic food certifications, such as “USDA Organic”, “Certified Organic”, or “Made with Organic Ingredients” are most prominent, followed by non-GMO verification and fair trade certification. Gen Z are more drawn to organic labels than other age cohorts, with nearly 1 in 2 (45%) looking for the label when shopping for food, compared to 36% of consumers overall.
4 in 10 Americans are currently on a diet, led by low-carb, no-sugar, and intermittent fasting
Millenials are more likely than any other age cohort to be on a diet: 46% are dieting in any manner, compared to 40% of the overall population. Low-carb diets are the most popular across all age groups, while keto diets are especially favored among Gen Zers.
Majority of consumers willing to pay a premium for healthier food, but more hesitant to support social and sustainability causes
More than 4 in 5 Americans are very or somewhat willing to pay more for nutritious food. They are, however, less enthusiastic about spending more money on sustainability, organic foods, and even less so on foods owned by brands committed to social and environmental justice.
Read more about our polling methodology here.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, would you say that you are focusing more, less or the same amount on eating healthy?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 1,380 587 767 More 37%38%37%Less 13%11%14%The same 49%50%49%No answer 1%0%1%Question wording: Since the beginning of the pandemic, would you say that you are focusing more, less or the same amount on eating healthy?Survey dates: –Which of the following are important to you when it comes to food purchasing decisions? (Select all that apply)
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 1,380 587 767 Nutritional value (ingredients, calories) 61%61%61%Price 61%61%61%Taste 51%50%51%Convenience 28%27%29%Safety 28%27%29%Source / Origin 20%21%20%Brand (transparency, company values) 19%18%20%Other (please specify) 4%2%5%No answer 2%2%2%Question wording: Which of the following are important to you when it comes to food purchasing decisions? (Select all that apply)Survey dates: –How often do you actively look for healthier alternatives for the food you eat?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 1,380 587 767 NET always/sometimes 87%85%89%Always 34%35%34%Sometimes 53%51%56%Rarely 10%11%9%Never 2%4%0%No answer 1%0%1%Question wording: How often do you actively look for healthier alternatives for the food you eat?Survey dates: –Which of the following types of foods have you tried within the past 12 months? (Select all that apply)
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 1,380 587 767 Alternative drinks (sparkling water, kombucha, non-alcoholic drinks) 41%43%38%Plant-based food alternatives (chickpea, cauliflower, kale) 40%34%45%Non-dairy milk (oat, soy, almond, rice) 39%35%42%Smoothies (acai, kale, protein) 35%33%37%Seed oil alternatives (avocado, coconut) 29%27%31%None of the above 22%23%22%Cold-pressed juices (fruit/vegetable cleanse, detox) 22%22%23%Meat alternatives (Beyond Meat, Impossible) 21%19%23%Meal replacements (Soylent, Huel) 8%7%8%No answer 2%3%2%Question wording: Which of the following types of foods have you tried within the past 12 months? (Select all that apply)Survey dates: –Which of the following diets are you currently on, if any? (Select all that apply)
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 1,380 587 767 None of the above 57%57%58%Low-carb 18%19%18%No-sugar 12%14%10%Intermittent Fasting 11%13%8%Gluten-free 6%7%6%Keto 5%7%5%Vegetarian 5%3%6%Plant-based 5%4%5%Vegan 3%2%3%Paleo 1%1%1%No answer 3%3%2%Question wording: Which of the following diets are you currently on, if any? (Select all that apply)Survey dates: –How willing are you to pay more for food that is:-More nutritious
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 1,380 587 767 NET willing 83%83%84%Very willing 40%39%41%Somewhat willing 42%43%42%NET not willing 11%12%9%Not too willing 8%8%7%Not willing at all 3%4%2%No answer 6%5%7%Question wording: How willing are you to pay more for food that is:-More nutritiousSurvey dates: –How willing are you to pay more for food that is:-Organic
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 1,380 587 767 NET willing 64%63%65%Very willing 26%25%27%Somewhat willing 38%38%37%NET not willing 30%33%28%Not too willing 19%19%20%Not willing at all 11%14%8%No answer 6%4%8%Question wording: How willing are you to pay more for food that is:-OrganicSurvey dates: –How willing are you to pay more for food that is:-Owned by a brand committed to social and environmental justice
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 1,380 587 767 NET willing 60%54%67%Very willing 21%19%23%Somewhat willing 39%35%44%NET not willing 34%43%26%Not too willing 17%18%17%Not willing at all 17%25%10%No answer 5%3%7%Question wording: How willing are you to pay more for food that is:-Owned by a brand committed to social and environmental justiceSurvey dates: –How willing are you to pay more for food that is:-Produced sustainably
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 1,380 587 767 NET willing 73%69%76%Very willing 25%22%28%Somewhat willing 47%47%48%NET not willing 20%25%16%Not too willing 13%15%11%Not willing at all 8%11%5%No answer 7%5%9%Question wording: How willing are you to pay more for food that is:-Produced sustainablySurvey dates: –Which of the following food labels do you look for when purchasing food?
Gender Answer Total Male Female Unweighted N 1,380 587 767 None of the above 48%52%44%Organic (USDA Organic, Certified Organic, Made with Organic Ingredients) 36%35%37%Non-GMO Project Verified 25%20%29%Fair Trade Certified 15%11%18%Rainforest Alliance 7%6%8%No answer 4%4%4%Question wording: Which of the following food labels do you look for when purchasing food?Survey dates: –
