UK Attitudes towards Eating Healthy Market Report 2022
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Description
The UK Attitudes Towards Eating Healthy market report identifies consumer attitudes towards healthy eating, the impact of upcoming HFSS restrictions and healthy product innovations. This market report covers the market size, market forecast, market segmentation and industry trends for the Healthy Eating Market in the UK.
Current Market Landscape
The COVID-19 outbreak has increased many people’s emphasis on healthy diets. However, the income squeeze will dampen the healthy eating market due to perceptions that it is harder to afford healthy products on a budget.
The rise in comfort eating, combined with the lack of physical activity associated with the pandemic, look to have worsened the nation’s weight problem. As part of their obesity strategy, the Government has also confirmed plans to move ahead with upcoming restrictions on the promotion and advertising of HFSS food and drink, putting pressure on retail and foodservice to provide healthier products.
Market Share and Key Industry Trends
Underpinned by the rise in eco-consciousness, the prevailing ‘holistic health’ ethos is increasingly extending to that of the planet. The combination of human and planetary health is a key healthy eating market trend, one that will see food and drink companies harness the benefits around both.
Mintel’s reporting on healthy eating statistics in the UK expect the ‘Food as Medicine’ concept to gain traction as many consumers are looking beyond modern science and putting their faith in the medicinal properties of ingredients discovered and used by our ancestors.
Healthy food brands in the UK will need to supply the growing demand for weight management products and nutritionally complete meal replacements.
- 67% of UK adults agree that it is important that their diet is healthy for both themselves and the planet
- 62% of UK adults are worried about the rise in food and drinks prices impacting their household’s financial situation
- 35% of UK adults would be interested in food/drink with healthy ingredients based on ‘ancient wisdom.’
Future Market Trends in UK Healthy Eating Market
The ‘good for me, good for the planet’ mindset is going to become further ingrained, which will see a growth in the healthy eating market size due to increased demand for healthy products that are sustainable and budget-friendly.
‘Ancient wisdom’ offers a route for brands to benefit from positive associations outside explicit health claims; healthy food brands in the UK can tap into the benefits consumers already associate with certain ingredients.
Read on to discover more details or take a look at all of our UK Food & Drink Market Research.
Quickly Understand
- Recent launch activity around functional benefits and opportunities for healthy food brands in 2022.
- Healthy eating intentions and sources of advice used within the healthy eating market.
- Benefits people would most want from their diet.
- Food/drink people would be most likely to consume if looking for functional benefits.
- Consumer behaviours and attitudes related to healthy eating.
Expert Analysis from a Specialist in the Field
This report, written by Emma Clifford a leading analyst in the Food & Drink sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.
“Propelled by the pandemic-driven rise in both eco- and health- consciousness, the prevailing ‘holistic health’ ethos is increasingly extending to that of the planet, and a very powerful proposition will be created through bringing together benefits around both. The popular concepts of ‘food as medicine’ and ‘mood foods’ continue to offer opportunities, within which the power of ‘ancient wisdom’ can be harnessed.”
Emma Clifford
Associate Director
Table of Contents
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Overview
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Market context
- Topics covered in this Report
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Executive Summary
- The five-year outlook for healthy eating
- Figure 1: Outlook for healthy eating, 2022-27
- The market
- The pandemic has exacerbated the obesity issue
- HFSS food and drink price promotion and store location restrictions to come into place in 2022
- Advertising for HFSS food and drink to face new rules from end of 2022
- An income squeeze will hit efforts to eat healthily
- Processed food/drink brands will need to work harder to build trust
- The ageing population has big implications for healthy eating
- Companies and brands
- A rise in functional claims, but only in drinks
- Figure 2: Share of new product launches with functional claims in the overall UK food and non-alcoholic drinks market, 2017-21
- Gut health claims continue to rise in food
- Meal replacements attract attention
- The consumer
- A rise in people trying to eat healthily all the time
- Figure 3: How often people try to eat healthily, 2017-21
- Family and friends are top sources of advice
- Figure 4: Sources used to seek advice on healthy eating, 2021
- Gut health has become more important
- Figure 5: Benefits consumers would ideally like from their diet, 2019 and 2021
- The ‘good for me, good for the planet’ message resonates widely; more attention should be given to ancient wisdom
- Figure 6: Behaviours relating to healthy eating, 2021
- Categories with an all-round healthy image are most popular choices
- Figure 7: Food/drink people would be most likely to consume if looking for functional benefits/added health claims, 2021
- Opportunities around time-restricted eating; widespread recognition that what a ‘healthy’ diet is differs between people
- Figure 8: Attitudes towards healthy eating, UK, 2021
- The five-year outlook for healthy eating
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Issues and Insights
- An income squeeze will hit efforts to eat healthily
- Harness the ‘good for me, good for the planet’ message
- More attention should be given to ‘ancient wisdom’
- Widespread recognition that what a ‘healthy’ diet is differs between people
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Market Drivers
- Huge mountain to climb in tackling obesity
- Two in three adults were overweight or obese in 2019
- Figure 9: Prevalence of overweight and obesity in England, by age and gender, 2019
- The pandemic has exacerbated the obesity issue
- Figure 10: Prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in reception and year 6 in England, 2019/20-2020/21
- COVID-19 saw consumers turn to comfort foods
- Concerns over obesity and efforts to lose weight are widespread
- People still falling short of key nutritional targets
- Figure 11: Daily intake of food and macronutrients, 2020
- Ultra-processed foods come under scrutiny
- A stronger focus on healthy eating set to be a lasting legacy of COVID-19
- ‘Positive nutrition’ – especially linked to immune health – has become more important
- Figure 12: Most important factors when looking for healthy foods, 2019 and 2021
- Gut health continues to be in the limelight
- Figure 13: UK trends in Google searches for ‘gut health’, January 2019-February 2022
- More attention will be paid to emotional wellbeing
- Income squeeze will increase barriers for healthy eating
- Rising inflation is putting household finances under pressure in 2022
- Figure 14: Consumer concerns about household finances, 2021-22
- An income squeeze will hit efforts to eat healthily
- Companies helping shoppers eat healthily on a budget will win loyalty
- Scratch cooking will benefit
- The ageing population has big implications for health eating
- Figure 15: Trends in UK population, by age, 2016-21 and 2021-26
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Market Drivers – Healthy Eating Initiatives
- Government emphasis on health intensifies under COVID-19
- Out-of-home calorie-labelling to be required; on-pack nutrition label consultation proposed
- New targets for salt and calorie reduction
- HFSS food and drink price promotion and store location restrictions to come into place in 2022
- Scope of price promotions ban
- Scope of location restrictions
- Product categories covered
- Measuring whether a product is HFSS
- Advertising for HFSS food and drink to face new rules from end of 2022
- Desire to limit children’s exposure to HFSS advertising
- Restrictions extend to on-demand services
- Brand-only advertising and selected media are exempt
- National Food Strategy report recommends taxation among other proposals
- New campaigns seek to improve the nation’s health
- Better Health campaign targets weight loss
- New campaign to improve children’s diets
- FDF initiative aims boost fibre intake
- “Eat Them to Defeat Them” campaign returns in 2022
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Launch Activity and Innovation
- A rise in functional claims, but only in drinks
- Figure 16: Share of new product launches with functional claims in the overall UK food and non-alcoholic drinks market, 2017-21
- John West seeks to reposition itself with raft of functional NPD
- Figure 17: John West’s functional tuna steak range, UK, 2021
- Gut health claims continue to rise in food
- Figure 18: Share of product launches in each category making a digestive health claim in the UK retail food and non-alcoholic drinks market, by top nine categories making this claim in 2021, 2017-21
- Kefir NPD expands, and becomes more innovative
- The use of inulin increases
- Figure 19: Bio&Me Gut-Loving Mango Prebiotic Yoghurt, 2021
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- Figure 20: Launches featuring chicory inulin, UK, 2021
- Twinings adds ‘friendly bacteria’ to tea
- Immune health claims stabilise in food but continue to grow in drinks
- Figure 21: Share of new product launches with immune health claims in the overall UK food and non-alcoholic drinks market, 2017-21
- Meal replacements attract attention
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- Figure 22: Launches of meal replacements, UK, 2021-22
- A rise in products with relaxation cues
- Figure 23: Launches with ingredients linked to relaxation, UK, 2021-22
- A rise in functional claims, but only in drinks
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Healthy Eating Intentions
- A rise in people trying to eat healthily all the time
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- Figure 24: How often people try to eat healthily, 2017-21
- Age and socio-economic factors have a big influence
- Widespread healthy eating intentions stand in stark contrast to the reality
- Digital tracking of grocery shopping offers marked potential
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Sources of Advice on Healthy Eating
- A sizeable minority do not seek out any form of advice
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- Figure 25: Sources used to seek advice on healthy eating, 2021
- Family and friends are top sources of advice
- Social media plays a major – and growing – role
- Three in 10 look to social media for inspiration
- Influencer tie-ups hold potential for brands…
- …and for the NHS
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Benefits People Would Want from Their Diet
- Gut health has become more important
- Offer consumers more support in boosting their gut health
- Figure 26: Benefits consumers would ideally like from their diet, 2019 and 2021
- Brain function is underexplored
- Limited activity though various nutrients are approved for cognitive function claims
- Buzz around nootropics
- Figure 27: Drinks launches featuring nootropics, 2021-22
- Beauty benefits have become more important
- Figure 28: Drinks launches featuring functional skin claims, 2021-22
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Behaviours Relating to Healthy Eating
- The ‘good for me, good for the planet’ message resonates widely
- Figure 29: Behaviours relating to healthy eating, 2021
- The plant-based trend is the manifestation of this concept…
- …which will continue to gain momentum
- Opportunities extend beyond plant-based
- More attention should be given to ‘ancient wisdom’
- Support ancient wellbeing practices such as yoga
- Trust around fortified foods builds
- The ‘good for me, good for the planet’ message resonates widely
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Most Popular Food/Drink for Health Claims
- Categories with an all-round healthy image are most popular choices
- Figure 30: Food/drink people would be most likely to consume if looking for functional benefits/added health claims, 2021
- One in five under-45s seek health benefits out from confectionery
- Potential for functional confectionery…
- …must be navigated cautiously
- Huge growth potential in meal replacements
- Categories with an all-round healthy image are most popular choices
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Attitudes towards Healthy Eating
- Half of under-45s see time-restricted eating plans as healthy
- Figure 31: Attitudes towards healthy eating, UK, 2021
- Time-restricted eating poses a threat to late snacks but opportunities for satiety claims
- Processed food/drink brands will need to work harder to build trust
- Widespread recognition that what a ‘healthy’ diet is differs between people
- Creating a sense of personalisation will chime
- Real-time glucose tracking has potential within preventative health
- Doubts over value for money are a barrier
- Half of under-45s see time-restricted eating plans as healthy
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Appendix – Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Figure 32: Share of new product launches with ‘plus’ claims in the overall UK food and non-alcoholic drinks market, 2017-21
- Figure 33: Share of new product launches with funtional claims in the overall UK food and non-alcoholic drinks market, 2017-21
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
About the report
This market report provides in-depth analysis and insight supported by a range of data. At the same time, introductory and top-level content is provided to give you an overview of the issues covered.
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Mintel provides a range of market information, frequently through the category level, including market size and forecasting, complete with market drivers that illustrate the forces that shape a category or market.
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Mintel’s proprietary consumer research provides our analysts with the attitudinal and behavioral data used to provide valuable insight to topical issues.
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Mintel provides overviews of the top brands and manufacturers, and uses consumer research to explore attitudes and reactions to brands, as well as insight into what will resonate with consumers.
Data
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*databooks not available with UK B2B Industry reports.
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