Americans Embracing Healthy Foods

Despite the rising obesity crisis, food remains an affordable luxury for Americans. In fact, results of a recent consumer survey reveal 47% of Americans are embracing the healthy food movement and would like to see more healthy items on menus and on grocery shelves. So the task at hand for food formulators is to satisfy consumers’ desire for healthier fare without compromising taste, nutrition or consumer expectations.

Just take a look at snacks. In the debate between snacks that taste good and better-for-you snacks, 63% of U.S. consumers would rather eat a snack that appeals to their sense of taste over healthier snacks, and 60% admit to eating more than the recommended portion, according to results “Rethink Your Snack Survey" conducted by Kelton Research.

While Americans love their snacks, 86% take the health content of their snack foods into consideration. When selecting small bites, calories (55%) and fat (48%) are the top two pieces of nutritional information Americans look for, while carbohydrates (31 %) are far less important. More than half of Americans (57%) reach for salty treats over sweet indulgences.

The healthy foods sector offers food companies a way to touch diverse demographic groups looking for specific products to benefit nutrition as well as heart health, digestive health, aging, immunity and much more.

Information on all these aspects and more can be found in Food Product Design’s new Content Library on Healthy Foods. Check it out and see what is trending now and beyond.