The new year has sparked increased consumer interest in food and nutrition resolutions

New Year’s resolutions related to food or nutrition were more popular among consumers heading into 2024 than they were last year, according to the January Consumer Food Insights Report. This year, 25% of consumers answered “yes” when asked if they had New Year’s resolutions related to food or nutrition, a 6-point increase from the answer to the same question last year.

The survey-based report from Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability evaluates food spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support for agriculture and food policies, and trust in information sources. Purdue experts conducted and evaluated a survey of 1,200 consumers across the US

“The words that came up most in people’s decisions showed that most consumers were focusing on eating healthier by limiting their intake of foods like sugar or increasing their intake of foods like fruits and vegetables,” said the report’s lead author, professor of science Joseph Balagtas. director of agricultural economics and CFDAS at Purdue.

Some of the January survey results were stratified by body mass index (BMI) using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s adult BMI calculator.

“We see a slightly larger proportion of overweight consumers with resolution, 29 percent, compared to the 20 percent of consumers with resolution who are not overweight,” Balagtas said. said. Consumers cited health improvement and weight loss as the top motivations behind their decisions. However, weight loss is the primary motivation for 60% of consumers classified as overweight, compared to 26% of consumers who are not overweight.

To create this month’s diet and nutrition survey questions, the research team consulted Purdue’s Heather Eicher-Miller, professor of nutritional science in the College of Health and Human Sciences.

“As might be expected, the majority of consumers plan to increase their consumption of fruits, vegetables and water, and limit their intake of salty snacks, sugary foods, regular soft drinks and alcohol,” Balagtaş said. said.

46% of consumers who plan to reduce their consumption of a particular food consider cravings to be a hindrance. The majority felt that cost would be a barrier for those trying to eat more of a particular food.

“The research reveals a strong perception that a healthy diet is more expensive than a less healthy diet,” Balagtaş said. “And while that perception may be true for many of the poorest people in the world, that’s not necessarily the case here in the U.S. Measuring the cost of a diet actually seems a little complicated, and that’s something we’re working on.” centre. “But I think it’s possible for most of us in the U.S. to improve our diets in a cost-effective way.”

Using the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 5-point scale from “poor” to “excellent,” Purdue researchers found that 84% of consumers rated their diets as “good,” “very good,” or “excellent.”

Consumers who were familiar with the USDA and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Dietary Guidelines for Americans were more likely to report that their diets were healthy. The guidelines provide recommendations on what to drink and eat to ensure nutritional needs are met.

“Awareness of the guidelines is a good sign, but when we look at what Americans actually eat compared to the recommendations in the guidelines, the rating on a scale of 100 would be a 58, or F+,” Eicher-Miller said. “So it seems like people might have an optimistic view of their diet.”

In the “Food Spending” category, average weekly food spending was $124 in January, up 20% from January 2022. “It is not a surprise to see an increase in food spending, considering the high food inflation we have experienced during the same period,” Elijah said. Bryant, a survey research analyst at CFDAS and co-author of the report.

Consumer inflation expectations and forecasts (unchanged compared to last month) remained slightly lower than last summer. However, the Consumer Price Index measure of food inflation in January was 2.7%, down significantly from last year.

The food insecurity rate has remained around 13% since September 2023, while the proportion of households receiving free food decreased from 15% in December to 12% in January.

“Consumers may be seeing some relief in their wallets as food inflation declines, reducing reliance on free food to supplement their food purchases,” Bryant said.

The rate of overweight is higher among consumers who are food insecure or who participate in SNAP. “The income effect may explain this pattern, as the rate of overweight and diet quality is lower among low-income consumers,” Bryant said. “Our survey highlights the intertwined problems of food insecurity and nutrition and the importance of research to find solutions to both.”

Most Americans continue to be rated as “thriving” on the dietary well-being index (63%). However, this average is below the averages of 2022 (70%) and 2023 (69%).

Overweight consumers report a slightly lower score on the dietary well-being index than non-overweight consumers in the past 25 months; 66% vs. 73%, respectively, are considered “developing.”

“However, it should also be noted that the majority of consumers are satisfied with their nutrition and life,” Bryant said.

The January survey also asked consumers about their confidence in food and nutrition information from organizations and professionals charged with protecting public health and the U.S. food system. These include primary healthcare professionals, the Food and Drug Administration, USDA, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Consumers rated their confidence higher in January compared to the 2022 and 2023 averages in the CFDAS confidence index.

The Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability is part of Purdue’s Next Movements in agriculture and food systems and uses innovative data analysis shared through user-friendly platforms to improve the food system. In addition to the Consumer Food Insights Report, the center offers a portfolio of online dashboards.