Active nutrition: What do consumers want?

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Many consumers are looking to become more active to maintain a healthier lifestyle. These consumers are also looking to their diets to improve their overall health. FMCG Gurus research shows that 55% of consumers believe they are healthy or very healthy. Still, more people want to ensure they can stay active and fit for as long as possible (40%), with many stating that they feel like they are not getting any younger. One way in which consumers are becoming more active is by exercising. The most popular form of exercise is walking, with 71% of global consumers claiming to engage in this form of activity, according to our research. This is followed by organized sports such as football and tennis or going to the gym to use cardio equipment such as the treadmill or indoor exercise bikes.

Eating habits are also changing among active consumers. FMCG Gurus research shows that 36% of consumers believe they have improved their diet in the last two years. Consumers are changing their dietary habits as they look to improve their general wellbeing (60%).

What changes are people making to their diets? One of the biggest changes is reducing sugar, with 58% of consumers saying they are doing this, according to our research. When looking for ingredients to benefit their diets, consumers’ top three choices are protein (46%), omega-3s (48%), and calcium (47%). Researching different ingredients is also a growing trend, as 73% of consumers say they have done research on ingredients that can better their health.

Protein is one of the key ingredients in a consumer’s active-nutrition diet. According to our data, 31% of consumers are using protein powder and 33% have purchased protein ice cream. However, although protein is a sought-out ingredient when it comes to active nutrition, only 44% of consumers are aware of the different protein sources.

The most appealing sources of protein are whey and plant proteins. Whey is the most popular, with 59% of consumers surveyed ranking whey protein as appealing or very appealing. Insect protein is now being offered as good source of protein, with 21% of consumers globally seeing this as an appealing or very appealing protein source.

Consumers are now also choosing to snack on protein-based products, with 52% changing from snacking on chocolate and confectionery items to a high-protein snack instead. Consumers say they are making the switch to benefit digestive health, heart health, and overall wellness.

Although protein-based products are popular, so are consumer buying patterns when purchasing these products. Price is very important to consumers when looking for snacking products, and 37% of consumers say they are either unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with the higher price of high-protein snacks. Healthy snacks high in protein are seen as more expensive, which our data show prevents 42% of consumers from buying these products.

• The information in this article is based on FMCG Gurus’ Active Nutrition Global Survey (Q3 2019). The survey is based on responses of 20,000 people who say they exercise three to six times per week. For more information, please contact FMCG Gurus at info@fmcggurus.com.

Will Cowling is marketing manager at FMCG Gurus.