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As consumers’ perception of health shifts toward a more holistic view, the market is evolving, too. In this webinar recap, learn how consumers are approaching wellness and the opportunities for food and beverage brands to support their journey.
Watch the on-demand webinar and receive our Holistic Wellness eGuide, packed with consumer insights and market trends.
As the US struggles with high rates of obesity and chronic illness,1 the good news is consumers are expressing a strong interest in improving their health. More than half of US consumers cite exercising, getting more sleep, taking care of their mental health, and reducing stress as health goals.2
They also specify several nutrition-related goals, including consuming more protein (38%), getting more of their recommended vitamins (36%), eating more foods for gut health (35%) and immune support (26%), and eating more plants (24%).3 These desires to improve health are creating opportunities for convenient, delicious products that can help consumers feel their best.
Healthy snacking plays a major role here. 56% of consumers say snacks are an important part of their healthy eating plan throughout the day, while 50% often eat snacks in place of a meal (with these rates growing over the past two years).4 Consumers today snack for energy, nourishment, and functional benefits—it’s not just about indulgence anymore.
While taste and convenience drive snacking, more consumers want their snacks to also support their health and wellness priorities. Brands have been responding. Immunity, energy, and vegan (plant-based) claims have been growing in snacks,5 and many top trending new snack products have been formulated as better-for-you snacks, with low sugar or added protein, for example.
As more consumers take an interest in their health, the notion of health is also changing. The old model of health focused solely on diet and exercise is giving way to a more holistic view of wellness that encompasses physical, mental, and emotional health. With anxiety/depression topping the list of consumers’ health concerns,6 it makes sense that people are considering health in a more interconnected way.
In viewing health and wellness, 93% of consumers list mental and emotional factors as key components, while 91% cite physical factors.7 52% include social and sustainability factors,8 illustrating an even more comprehensive approach to health and wellness that links doing good to others and the environment to a sense of wellbeing.
If health is the goal, then wellness is the journey. Holistic wellness, in particular, is a model that can adapt and expand to include any number of factors that contribute to a fulfilling life, from stress management to aging well. We’re also seeing that consumers don’t just desire wellness—they’re taking action. Over half of consumers say they’re taking steps to improve their physical and mental/emotional wellbeing.9
An integral part of holistic wellness is healthy aging. A trend to watch here is the importance younger consumers are placing on healthy aging, perhaps in response to the COVID pandemic. Consumers are actively taking steps to age healthily at a younger age than earlier generations.10
While some aspects of aging are more top of mind for older consumers, having a positive mindset, maintaining energy levels, and protecting their physical wellbeing are equally important across generations.11 Healthy eating, whether through nutrition or functional ingredients, is recognized as a valuable way to support a healthy body and mind throughout life.
The interest in foods and beverages with fiber and protein is not limited to older consumers but is consistent among all generations.12 While Millennials and Gen Z are the generations most interested in energy-boosting benefits, and focus-enhancing is particularly important to Millennials, calming/relaxation benefits are also equally desired across generations.13
| Predominant Approach to Health Eating | % of North American Consumers |
|---|---|
| Reduce products/ingredients that are bad for me | 35% |
| Choose products that boost nutrition or benefit how my body functions | 27% |
| Choose natural products to avoid additives and preservatives | 20% |
| Choose natural foods for their inherent nutrition | 18% |
These consumer insights into the evolving perception of health can help brands update their idea of a healthy food or beverage, whether a nutrition bar or functional RTD, to bring to market products that address consumers’ most important wellness needs.
Formulating with holistic wellness in mind includes keeping sugar, fat, and salt in check, while focusing on healthy, in-demand nutrients like fiber and protein (especially plant-based protein). It also involves careful consideration of the functional ingredients valuable to a brand's target consumer.
As experts in nutritional and wellness ingredients, Glanbia Nutritionals provides premix solutions such as All N™ Off-the-Shelf Premix Formulas for body-focused benefits like immune, bone, joint, and eye health and for mental wellness benefits like energy, stress, and sleep support. NutraShield™ Microencapsulated Ashwagandha, part of the functionally optimized nutrients portfolio, offers a more stable form of ashwagandha.
Our bioactive ingredients include Bioferrin®, Pepform® Tryptophan, MenaQ7®, and KetoSure™ MCT, and our plant-based solutions range from flax and chia to pea protein. Contact us to learn more.
