Why putting healthy food on the table is our top priority

As the cost of living continues to rise, consumers are adapting and looking after their health as best they can. The findings from our 2023 Good Food Nation Report – that surveyed 2,013 UK consumers (48% male, 52% female) aged 16 and over about their food shopping and eating habits – suggests that eating healthily is a priority, despite economic constraints.

The picture painted is one of a health-conscious nation. Some 69% of people surveyed consider themselves healthy eaters*. Over a third (34%) of respondents said they eat intuitively and listen to what their body wants, and over a fifth (22%) said they focus more on nutritional content than calories.

Among those more likely to count calories (14%), there’s a generational divide: those in the 16-24 age bracket are almost four times more likely to count calories than those aged 55 and over (25% versus 7%). More people like calories being included on menus (21%) than don’t (15%).

Nearly a third (31%) of people across the UK that took part in the survey said the cost of living has not impacted their healthy eating habits at all. But, over a quarter of UK consumers (28%) reported eating less healthily because it’s too expensive to do so. Three in five (60%) have made changes to their diet because of the cost of ingredients. The top three measures they’re taking are eating more ready meals and processed foods (19%), cooking less from scratch (17%) and cutting back on organic food (16%). Over a quarter (28%) of consumers have changed their supermarket to save money.

Saving money and eating healthily aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. They coincide in the form of our beloved air-fryers. Some 46% of respondents already have one, while 23% are planning a purchase. Their energy-efficiency and health benefits are well known by those who already own one, so little wonder over a fifth (23%) use an air-fryer daily.

Over a third (36%) of UK consumer