Canadian view on healthy eating is changing

According to the Canadian Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report, consumers place an increasingly high priority on health, and more are seeking healthy options away-from-home, but their behaviour and attitudes towards healthy eating are evolving.

Today's consumers focus on an overall balanced diet that gives them control over their choices and includes occasional indulgences, especially when they dine out.

Consumers are also becoming more educated and concerned about what is in their food and beverages, but still refuse to compromise on taste.

"Transparency is now imperative and integral to consumers' personal approach to health" says Sara Monnette, Senior Director, Consumer Insights & Innovation at Technomic. "Communicating ingredient sourcing practices and health-halo attributes enhances consumers' health perception and can drive purchases. This report explores what will become the new standard: nutritional and functional callouts as well as the proliferation of clean ingredients—the next level of fresh, natural fare."
 

To help foodservice executives understand the latest consumer behaviours, preferences and attitudes regarding healthy eating, Technomic has published its Canadian Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report.

Interesting findings include:
 

• Considerably more consumers (44 per cent) say their at-home eating behaviour is very healthy than those (14 per cent) who say the same about their away-from-home eating habits.
• Among all claims measured, consumers are most likely to pay more for items with claims signifying natural production methods, such as "hormone-" and "antibiotic-free."
• 46 per cent of consumers say they are now more concerned about additives in food than they were in 2012.

 Technomic's Canadian Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report is one of the many topics in its Consumer Trend Report series, offering the most current analysis, insight and opportunities to help grow your business. Our best-in-class intelligence combines 50 years of foodservice expertise with critical findings from over 7,000 menus and nearly 30,000 annual consumer interviews.