84.51°’s consumer digest reported 35% of shoppers planned to eat healthier in 2023. The report specifically stated consumers are seeking functional food benefits through food choices, with common themes centered around energy, heart and gut health.

Here are some things 84.51° revealed:

The 18-34 age group is making healthier choices to increase energy (68%), for heart health (61%) and for gut health (60%)

The 35-44 age group is making healthier choices for heart health (48%), to manage weight (48%) and to manage cholesterol (47%).

The 45-54 age group is making healthier choices for heart health (59%), to increase energy (58%), and to manage weight (58%).

The 55-plus age group is making healthier choices to manage weight (66%), to manage blood sugar levels (62%), and for heart health (58%). 

The 18-34 age group is the most likely to seek functional benefits from food choices while 35-44 is the least likely. The 35-44 segment is the most likely to have kids under 18 living at home (65%) which could cause them to deprioritize functional benefits for their own food in favor of their kids’ diet. 

COVID aftereffects

While consumer concern for COVID has been on a steady decline since February 2022, new concern is rising for other contagious illnesses. 24% of shoppers reported being extremely concerned with contagious diseases and viruses e.g., Flu and RSV. But how are they taking control of their health this year? For some, diet and exercise are viewed as medicine.

 To prevent a health issue, shoppers are:

 Exercising (65%)

Taking vitamins and supplements (63%)

Consuming certain foods or changing their diet (57%)

Getting more sleep (56%)

To treat a health issue, shoppers are:

 Exercising (58%)

Taking vitamins and supplements (56%)

Taking prescribed medications (54%)

Getting more sleep (53%)

When deciding which health products to choose, 100% natural products (34%), non-GMO (29%) and organic (22%) are the most important claims for shoppers on a product label. Consumers are most likely to read labels on health care products (73%), shelf staples (66%) and frozen food (65%), the research firm concluded.