Healthy Eating - Ireland - December 2016

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Issues covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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
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’
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
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
Figure 4: Diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, NI and RoI, August 2016
Confusion around ‘healthy foods’
Figure 5: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, NI and RoI, August 2016
What we think
ISSUES AND INSIGHTS 
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
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
Most consider themselves somewhat healthy
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
Figure 8: Percentage of consumers who are categorised as obese, UK (including NI) and Ireland, 2010 and 2030 (forecast)
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
Figure 10: How consumers rate their current financial situation, NI and RoI, October 2014-November 2016
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
Figure 13: Consumers who typically eat meals cooked from scratch, by age, NI and RoI, August 2016
Figure 14: Frequency of preparing/cooking meals from scratch, RoI, 2007-15
More scratch cooking done at Christmas
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 
Evidence that more consumers are embracing vegan and vegetarian diets
Irish consumers reducing meat intake for health reasons
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
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
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
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
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 
Most consume the daily recommended amount
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
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
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
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
Over a third describe themselves as average build
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
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
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?
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
Half think ‘fresh’ is important when buying healthy foods
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
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
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
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
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
Scratch cooking is the top healthy eating habit
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
Figure 34: Consumers who typically limit the amount of sugar or salt they use when cooking or baking, NI and RoI, August 2016
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
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
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
Conflicting information confuses healthy-eaters
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
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
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
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
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
Definition
Data sources
Generational cohorts
Abbreviations
APPENDIX – THE CONSUMER
NI Toluna data
Figure 43: How consumers describe their typical eating habits and diet, by demographics, NI, August 2016
Figure 44: How consumers describe their typical eating habits and diet, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 45: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, by demographics, NI, August 2016
Figure 46: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 47: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 48: How consumers would describe their current body type/weight, by demographics, NI, August 2016
Figure 49: How consumers would describe their current body type/weight, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 50: Factors that consumers find to be most important when using healthy foods, by demographics, NI, August 2016
Figure 51: Factors that consumers find to be most important when using healthy foods, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 52: Factors that consumers find to be most important when using healthy foods, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 53: Diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, by demographics, NI, August 2016
Figure 54: Diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 55: Diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 56: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, by demographics, NI, August 2016
Figure 57: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 58: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, by demographics, NI, August 2016 (continued)
RoI Toluna data
Figure 59: How consumers describe their typical eating habits and diet, by demographics, RoI, August 2016
Figure 60: How consumers describe their typical eating habits and diet, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 61: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, by demographics, RoI, August 2016
Figure 62: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 63: How many calories (through eating and drinking) consumers estimate they consume on a typical day, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 64: How consumers would describe their current body type/weight, by demographics, RoI, August 2016
Figure 65: How consumers would describe their current body type/weight, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 66: Factors that consumers find to be most important when using healthy foods, by demographics, RoI, August 2016
Figure 67: Factors that consumers find to be most important when using healthy foods, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 68: Factors that consumers find to be most important when using healthy foods, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 69: diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, by demographics, RoI, August 2016
Figure 70: diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 71: diet and eating habits that consumers claim to typically do, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 72: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, by demographics, RoI, August 2016
Figure 73: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)
Figure 74: Agreement with statements relating to healthy eating, by demographics, RoI, August 2016 (continued)