Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Issues covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- Market factors
- Most consider themselves ‘somewhat healthy’
- Half of RoI forecast to be obese in 2030
- Healthy finances leave consumers with more disposable income
- The rise in scratch cooking could encourage better healthy eating
- Health trends
- Evidence shows a shift towards meat-free
- Free-from food sees strong momentum
- Concerns with sugar continue to gain momentum
- Protein trend riding high
- The consumer
- Most meeting the daily recommended amount of calories
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- Figure 1: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Over a third describe themselves as ‘average build’
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- Figure 2: How consumers would describe their current body type/weight, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Half think ‘fresh’ is important when buying healthy foods
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- Figure 3: Factors that consumers find to be most important when buying/eating healthy foods, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Scratch cooking is the top healthy eating habit
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- Figure 4: Diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Confusion around ‘healthy foods’
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- Figure 5: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, NI and RoI, August 2016
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- What are the top healthy eating habits?
- The facts
- The implications
- What factors do consumers think are important in a healthy diet?
- The facts
- The implications
- What are the top healthy eating trends?
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Most consider themselves ‘somewhat healthy’
- Half of RoI forecast to be obese in 2030
- Healthy finances leave consumers with more disposable income
- The rise in scratch cooking could encourage better healthy eating
- Evidence shows a shift towards meat-free
- Free-from food sees strong momentum
- Concerns with sugar continue to gain momentum
Market Drivers
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- Most consider themselves somewhat healthy
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- Figure 6: How consumers describe their typical eating habits and diet, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Figure 7: Consumers who describe their eating habits and diet as ‘somewhat healthy’, by gender and social class, NI and RoI, August 2016
- RoI expected to have higher rates of obesity compared to UK
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- Figure 8: Percentage of consumers who are categorised as obese, UK (including NI) and Ireland, 2010 and 2030 (forecast)
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- Figure 9: Items eaten more or less if trying to be ‘more healthy’, Great Britain (GB) and RoI, 2015
- Healthy finances leave consumers with more disposable income
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- Figure 10: How consumers rate their current financial situation, NI and RoI, October 2014-November 2016
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- Figure 11: Consumer Price Index, by all food and non-alcoholic beverages and all items, UK (including NI), July 2015-October 2016
- Figure 12: Consumer Price Index, by all food and all items, RoI, July 2015-October 2016
- The rise in scratch cooking could encourage better healthy eating
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- Figure 13: Consumers who typically eat meals cooked from scratch, by age, NI and RoI, August 2016
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- Figure 14: Frequency of preparing/cooking meals from scratch, RoI, 2007-15
- More scratch cooking done at Christmas
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- Figure 15: Agreement with the statement ‘I am more likely to cook from scratch during the Christmas season’, by demographics, NI and RoI, November 2016
Key Health Trends
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- Evidence that more consumers are embracing vegan and vegetarian diets
- Irish consumers reducing meat intake for health reasons
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- Figure 16: Agreement with the statement ‘I am eating more fruit and veg and less meat compared to 12 months ago’, by demographics, NI, November 2015
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- Figure 17: Index of vegan vs vegetarian food and drink launches to the UK & Ireland, 2011-16
- Free-from food sees strong momentum
- Experimentation with free-from food helping to drive growth
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- Figure 18: If a consumer’s allergy, intolerance or coeliac disease is confirmed by a doctor/dietician, suspected or self-diagnosed, NI and RoI, August 2014
- Concerns with sugar continue to gain momentum
- Four in 10 will cut back on sugary drinks if they are taxed
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- Figure 19: If consumers would change their buying behaviour of soft drinks if a 24p/30c per litre sugar tax was introduced, by demographics, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Protein trend riding high
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Most meeting the daily recommended amount of calories
- Over a third describe themselves as ‘average build’
- Half think ‘fresh’ is important when buying healthy foods
- Scratch cooking is the top healthy eating habit
- Confusion around ‘healthy foods’
Consumption of Calories
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- Most consume the daily recommended amount
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- Figure 20: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Mature and younger consumers least likely to eat 2,000 calories
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- Figure 21: Consumers who consume (through eating and drinking) 2,000 calories on a typical day, by gender and age, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Women more likely to eat fewer than 2,000 calories
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- Figure 22: Consumers who consume (through eating and drinking) 1500-1750 calories on a typical day, by gender, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Men eat more calories than women
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- Figure 23: Consumers who consume (through eating and drinking) 2500 calories on a typical day, by gender, NI and RoI, August 2016
How Consumers View Their Body Type
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- Over a third describe themselves as average build
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- Figure 24: How consumers would describe their current body type/weight, NI and RoI, August 2016
- ‘Average’ build is the common body type in Ireland
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- Figure 25: Consumers who describe their current body type/weight as average build, by age and gender, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Mature consumers are more likely to describe themselves as overweight
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- Figure 26: Consumers who describe their current body type/weight as overweight, by age and gender, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Is it better to be underweight or overweight?
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- Figure 27: Consumers who describe their current body type/weight as underweight or obese, NI and RoI, August 2016
Factors Important When Buying Healthy Foods
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- Half think ‘fresh’ is important when buying healthy foods
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- Figure 28: Factors that consumers find to be most important when buying/eating healthy foods, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Fresh important to mature consumers
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- Figure 29: Consumers who agreed that fresh is the most important factor when buying healthy foods, by gender and age, NI and RoI, August 2016
- One of your five-a-day appeals to parents
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- Figure 30: Consumers who agreed that food contributes to your five-a-day is the most important factor when buying healthy foods, by age of children, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Sugar fears may reduce fruit consumption
- Low calorie appeals to women and younger consumers
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- Figure 31: Consumers who agreed that low calorie content is the most important factor when buying healthy foods, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Protein appeals to men
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- Figure 32: Consumers who agreed that high in protein is the most important factor when buying healthy foods, NI and RoI, August 2016
Healthy Eating Habits
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- Scratch cooking is the top healthy eating habit
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- Figure 33: Diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Half of Irish consumers limit salt and sugar
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- Figure 34: Consumers who typically limit the amount of sugar or salt they use when cooking or baking, NI and RoI, August 2016
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- Figure 35: New products launched in food with the claim low/no/reduced sodium and low/no/reduced sugar, UK and Ireland, 2011-16
- Women more likely to check ingredient list
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- Figure 36: Consumers who typically check the ingredients list when trying a new food product, by gender, NI and RoI, August 2016
- A fifth of Irish Millennials use a fitness tracker or app
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- Figure 37: Consumers who typically track their diet and/or exercise (eg using an app/tracker or wearable technology, ie FitBit), by gender and age, NI and RoI, August 2016
Attitudes towards Healthy Eating
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- Conflicting information confuses healthy-eaters
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- Figure 38: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Consumers feel bombarded by pressure to be healthy
- Irish consumers confused about what’s healthy
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- Figure 39: Agreement with the statement ‘I feel there is too much conflicting information on what constitutes a healthy diet (eg is fat actually good for you or not)’, by gender and age, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Less is more appealing than to diet
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- Figure 40: Agreement with the statement ‘I would prefer to eat less of a standard/ full-fat type of food rather than switch to a diet/low-fat version’ and ‘There is no need for 'light' or 'diet' products in a balanced diet’, NI and RoI, August 2016
- Health boosting agents appeal to consumers and they’re willing to pay
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- Figure 41: Agreement with the statement ‘I am interested in trying the latest foods claimed to boost your health (eg chia seeds, quinoa)’, by gender and age, NI and RoI, August 2016
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- Figure 42: Agreement with the statement ‘It is worth paying more for highly nutritious foods (eg high in vitamins, minerals etc)’, by social class, NI and RoI, August 2016
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Definition
- Data sources
- Generational cohorts
- Abbreviations
Appendix – The Consumer
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- NI Toluna data
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- Figure 43: How consumers describe their typical eating habits and diet, by demographics, NI, August 2016
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- Figure 44: How consumers describe their typical eating habits and diet, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 45: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, by demographics, NI, August 2016
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- Figure 46: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 47: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 48: How consumers would describe their current body type/weight, by demographics, NI, August 2016
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- Figure 49: How consumers would describe their current body type/weight, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 50: Factors that consumers find to be most important when using healthy foods, by demographics, NI, August 2016
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- Figure 51: Factors that consumers find to be most important when using healthy foods, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 52: Factors that consumers find to be most important when using healthy foods, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 53: Diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, by demographics, NI, August 2016
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- Figure 54: Diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 55: Diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 56: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, by demographics, NI, August 2016
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- Figure 57: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 58: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
- RoI Toluna data
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- Figure 59: How consumers describe their typical eating habits and diet, by demographics, RoI, August 2016
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- Figure 60: How consumers describe their typical eating habits and diet, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 61: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, by demographics, RoI, August 2016
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- Figure 62: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 63: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 64: How consumers would describe their current body type/weight, by demographics, RoI, August 2016
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- Figure 65: How consumers would describe their current body type/weight, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 66: Factors that consumers find to be most important when using healthy foods, by demographics, RoI, August 2016
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- Figure 67: Factors that consumers find to be most important when using healthy foods, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 68: Factors that consumers find to be most important when using healthy foods, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 69: diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, by demographics, RoI, August 2016
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- Figure 70: diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 71: diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 72: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, by demographics, RoI, August 2016
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- Figure 73: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
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- Figure 74: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
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