3 Ways Health Food Brands are Meeting the Changing Tastes of Consumers

Everyone needs to eat daily. So when it comes to feeding themselves and their families, they’re looking to brands to make their lives easier and more delicious. Even as the world becomes more health-conscious, the majority of consumers don’t want to sacrifice taste and flavor for fuel.

This is a big ask for health food brands, especially as what’s important to consumers shifts with the times. Someone who likely purchased low fat products years ago may have entirely switched their diet to be more high fat and keto-friendly. Due to this, consumer packaged goods companies have to be nimble to meet the changing tastes of consumers while also remaining profitable. Here are three ways that health food brands today are keeping up with consumers’ latest preferences.

1. Focusing on Sustainable Practices

Consumers today are worried about the planet. With climate change dominating the headlines, individuals are recognizing the importance of preserving natural resources and cultivating sustainable living practices. They’re also voting with their dollars to support companies that are encouraging better resource management and mitigating wastefulness. In the last few years, brands are finding innovative ways to show their commitment to environmental responsibility and attracting eco-conscious consumers.

Almost half of the world’s food waste stems from supermarkets rejecting fruits and vegetables due to perceived imperfections. Irregular shapes, blemishes, or minor discolorations cause edible produce to be thrown away. This prevalent problem has given rise to companies like Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods, which both aim to reduce food waste. Taking what was once discarded foods and making them the star of their brand, saves significant amounts of produce from landfills, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and promotes a more sustainable food system.

Some companies are taking their green efforts in a different direction and focusing on improving packaging.Simply Good Jars, for example, is revolutionizing the packaging for their fresh products. This Certified B-Corporation delivers healthy single-portioned salads in reusable and recyclable jars. By leaning into these eco-friendly practices, food companies are improving customer satisfaction and brand loyalty while doing good for the planet too.

2. Addressing the Multiple Needs of Snacks

Snacking spiked during the pandemic, as more people were at home and inevitably stress eating. Consumers were looking for foods that satisfied cravings quickly while also looking to fill boredom and instantly boost their mood. For health food companies, this meant producing snacks that were craveable, enjoyable, while also adding some nutritional benefits. Ingredients with mood-boosting benefits like adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms gained popularity (for good reason) during this time.

The demand for these types of snacks have continued past the pandemic as consumers are back in the office, attending school, and traveling once again. Recognizing their snacking tendencies spiked, they are now more focused on the nutrition aspect of what they’re grabbing and eating. Since snacking has become a staple in their everyday life, they’re looking for a more balanced approach rather than something for pure indulgence.

With balance in mind, consumers are also looking to keep portion control in check. They want one or two bites of something that gives them some energy without weighing them down. Sweet Nothings is an example of a healthy food brand providing mess-free, ready-to-eat snacks, perfect for when you need a little something. Other brands like KIND Snacks and Perfect Bar shrunk their classic protein bars, making them perfect to stash in a purse or backpack.

3. Leaning into Specialized Diets and Clean Ingredients

Gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, plant-based, sugar-free, keto, and Whole 30 are just some of today’s most popular specialized diets. Whether it’s due to an intolerance, food allergy, cultural reasons, or preference, these diets are making major headway. Food brands are looking to meet consumers where they are in their health journeys and preferences by offering products that meet these diet restrictions.

Of course, a major component of these specialized diets is what happens to be trending. Keto started to gain popularity in the 1990s and interest increased again within the last few years. Whole 30 had its moment a little over a decade ago and is still attracting new followers. Currently, protein is the name of the game. Health influencers and nutrition experts are speaking about the multifaceted benefits of getting enough protein every day. Many packaged goods, such as bean-based pastas, are boasting their high protein numbers on the front of their packages.

Alongside this, brands are boasting the use of clean, simpler ingredients. Consumers want to be able to recognize what is in their foods, and many health-conscious individuals are not buying foods with fillers and added gums. Some brands are replacing seed oils such as canola and palm oil with better-for-you alternatives like olive or coconut oil. Others are making their products with as few ingredients as possible, such as trail mixes made with raw nuts and dried fruit.

Takeaways

Consumers’ wishes and needs are evolving, as are their palates and taste preferences. While sugar-filled, whole-grain cereals dominated the aisles in the 1990s and early 2000s, they’ve largely been replaced with sugar- and gluten-free options. Health food brands must rise to consumer demands in order to stay relevant and continue to sell their products. 

While companies can’t predict what’s on the horizon, they can keep a pulse on how consumers’ eating habits change. Some factors, like convenience and taste, will always be important. Other factors like ingredients and flavor profiles will likely shift. Health food brands are unique in that they must also be aware of what is having a moment in the nutrition world.