December 7, 2022 - Trends

Consumers Want Health- and Wellness-Boosting Foods

Healthy is out. Functional is in.

Healthy doesn’t cut it. Consumers want functional foods.

According to a Tastewise report, although interest in healthy food is falling, the number of people seeking functional benefits is up.

What’s the deal? Simply put, Americans want food and beverage options that deliver specific health benefits.

Leading the pack, interest in ingredients that support hair and skin, metabolism, and gut health saw the biggest jump year over year.

Whole-day health. Further, consumers expect solutions that meet their needs from morning to night. Crunching the numbers, Tastewise uncovered surging demand throughout the day.

Morning: energy, eye health
Afternoon: metabolism, fertility
Evening: anti-bloat, sleep, sex drive

Signaling what’s ahead in 2023, the report highlights the rise of energy drinks as well as food for fertility and women’s health.

Consumer interest in food and beverage for menopause support is up 97% YoY.
In 2022, 37% more women turned to food and beverage for health needs than the last year.
Energy-boosting beverages are up 21% YoY, with energy drink brands that call out specific health benefits up 45%.

Zooming out: While the rise of functional foods is encouraging, chasing a quick fix instead of consistently eating well isn’t sustainable. Instead, to address health disparities and chronic ailments, we’d be better off treating food-as-medicine. Easier said than done, we’re still hooked on ultra-processed snacks.

Joe Vennare

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