Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and forecast of restaurants and limited service eating places*, at current prices, 2015-25
- Impact of COVID-19 on healthy dining
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- Figure 2: Short, medium and long term impact of COVID-19 on healthy dining, March 2021
- Opportunities and challenges
- Balanced dining takes a hit
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- Figure 3: Healthy dining segmentation, December 2018, January 2020 and January 2021
- Fast food operators have the biggest opportunity to reach healthy diners
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- Figure 4: Likelihood of choosing healthy options by locations where food/meals purchased, January 2021
- Appealing to parents with healthy choices for the whole family can lead to brand loyalty
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- Figure 5: Changes in healthy dining, by parental status, January 2021
- Plant-based options are no longer optional
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- Figure 6: Interest in plant-based menu items, January 2021
- Sustainable practices don a health halo
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- Figure 7: Interest in sustainability claims, January 2021
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Balanced dining falls by the wayside
- Price point remains an obstacle
- Operators finding new paths to diners’ plates
Impact of COVID-19 on Healthy Dining
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- Figure 8: Short, medium and long term impact of COVID-19 on healthy dining, July 2020
- Lockdown
- Re-emergence
- Recovery
- COVID-19: US context
- Learnings from the last recession
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Market Factors
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- Policies mandate healthier options for kids
- Financial troubles lead to decreased healthy choices
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- Figure 9: Changes in healthy eating, by financial situation, January 2021
- Personal and environmental health go hand in hand
Market Opportunities
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- Fast casual chains pivot to find healthy diners in new places
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- Figure 10: Just Salad Housemade Meal Kit promotion
- Develop healthy relationships
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- Figure 11: Farmer’s Fridge/Dunkin’ promotion
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Meal kits exemplify freshness, healthy choices
- Give people more ways to eat their veggies
Competitive Strategies
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- Meal kits keep it fresh
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- Figure 12: Likelihood of choosing healthy options by locations where food/meals purchased, January 2021
- Healthy options for every lifestyle
- Offer more plants to the people
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- Figure 13: Ads for menu items featuring plant-based meat alternatives
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- Figure 14: Ads for vegetable-focused menu items
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Most diners want healthy options…at least some of the time
- COVID-19 causes some diners to lose balance
- Fast food venues have potential to influence ordering habits
- Say yes to substitutions
- Plant-based options are no longer niche
- Better for you, better for the planet
Healthy Dining Segmentation
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- COVID-19 leads to decline in balanced dining
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- Figure 15: Healthy dining segmentation, December 2018, January 2020 and January 2021
- Perception of healthy choices varies by gender
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- Figure 16: Healthy dining segmentation, by gender, January 2021
- Millennials, parents represent healthiest diners
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- Figure 17: Healthy dining segmentation, by generation, January 2021
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- Figure 18: Healthy dining segmentation, by parental status, January 2021
- Price, accessibility are major barriers to healthy dining
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- Figure 19: Healthy dining segmentation, by household income, January 2021
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- Figure 20: Healthy dining segmentation, by area, January 2021
Changes in Healthy Dining
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- Pandemic influences a shift away from healthy dining
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- Figure 21: Changes in healthy eating, January 2020-21
- Focus on parents now for loyalty later
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- Figure 22: Changes in healthy eating, by parental status, January 2021
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- Figure 23: Healthy foods for kids
- Shift in dining choices varies by gender
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- Figure 24: Changes in healthy eating, by gender, January 2021
Changes in Restaurant Ordering Habits by Menu Item
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- Healthy diners more focused on main meals
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- Figure 25: Changes in restaurant ordering habits by menu item, January 2021
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- Figure 26: Ads for healthy snacks and cocktails
Purchase Locations
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- Fast food restaurants visited by majority of consumers
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- Figure 27: Locations where food/meals purchased, January 2021
- Likelihood of making healthy choices shifts depending on location
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- Figure 28: Likelihood of choosing healthy options by locations where food/meals purchased, any likely NET, January 2021
Interest in Healthy Menu Options
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- Offering customizable menu items can put diners in control of their health
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- Figure 29: Interest in healthy menu options, January 2021
- Flexible options needed to please a variety of preferences
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- Figure 30: Interest in healthy menu options, by gender and age, January 2021
- Offer easy swaps to please the masses
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- Figure 31: TURF analysis – Interest in healthy menu options, January 2021
Interest in Plant-based Menu Items
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- Broaden the scope of plant-based offerings
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- Figure 32: Interest in plant-based menu items, January 2021
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- Figure 33: Interest in plant-based menu items, by healthy dining segmentation, January 2021
- Variety is key for drawing in plant-seeking consumers
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- Figure 34: TURF analysis – Interest in plant-based menu items, January 2021
Interest in Sustainability Claims
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- Ramp up locally sourced ingredients
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- Figure 35: Interest in sustainability claims, January 2021
- Connect the dots between sustainable and healthy
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- Figure 36: Interest in sustainability claims, by healthy dining segmentation, January 2021
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- Figure 37: Interest in sustainability claims, by age, January 2021
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 38: Total US sales and forecast of restaurants and limited service eating places*, at current prices, 2015-25
- Figure 39: Total US sales and forecast of restaurants and limited service eating places*, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2015-25
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Appendix – The Consumer
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- TURF methodology
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- Figure 40: Table – TURF analysis – Interest in healthy menu options, January 2021
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- Figure 41: Table – TURF analysis – Interest in plant-based menu items, January 2021
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