by New Year’s resolutions related to food or nutrition were more popular among consumers heading into 2024 than last year, according to the January Consumer Food Insights Report. This year 25% of consumers answered “yes” when asked if they had any New Year’s resolutions related to food or nutrition, an increase of 6 percentage points from the response to the same question last year.
The survey-based report from Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand and Sustainability Analysis measures food spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support for agricultural and food policies, and trust in information sources. The survey, which included 1,200 consumers across the US, was conducted and evaluated by Purdue experts
“The words that came up most in people’s intentions showed that most consumers were focused on eating healthier by limiting their intake of foods such as sugar or increasing their intake of foods such as fruit and vegetables,” said the report’s lead author. , Joseph Balagtas, professor with. agricultural economics at Purdue and director of CFDAS.
Some of the January survey results were categorized by body mass index (BMI), using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s adult BMI calculator.
“We see a slightly larger percentage of consumers who are overweight with intentions, 29%, compared to consumers who are not overweight with intentions, 20%,” said Balagtas. Consumers cited improved health and weight loss as the main motivations behind their resolutions. However, weight loss was the main motivation for 60% of consumers classified as overweight, compared to 26% of consumers who were not overweight.
To create this month’s diet and nutrition survey questions, the research team consulted with Purdue’s Heather Eicher-Miller, professor of nutritional science in the College of Health and Human Sciences.
“As expected, most consumers plan to increase their consumption of fruit, vegetables and water while limiting their intake of salty snacks, sugary foods, regular soft drinks and alcohol,” a Balagtas said.
Among consumers who planned to reduce eating a certain food, 46% expected cravings as an obstacle. For those who wanted to eat more of a certain food, a majority saw cost as a barrier.
“The survey shows a strong perception that healthy diets are more expensive than less healthy diets,” said Balagtas. “And while this perception is true for many of the poorest people in the world, it’s not necessarily the case here in the U.S. Measuring the cost of a diet is a little complicated, and it’s something we work on it. the centre. But I think most of us in the US can improve our diets in a cost-effective way.”
Using the US Department of Agriculture’s 5-point scale from “poor” to “excellent,” the Purdue researchers found that 84% of consumers rate their diet as “good,” “very good,” or “excellent.”
Consumers who knew about the USDA and the US Department of Health and Human Services’
Dietary Guidelines for Americans were more likely to report that their diet is healthy. The guidelines provide advice 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 grade on a scale of 100 would be a 58, or F+,” said Eicher- Miller. “So it looks like people may have an optimistic view of their diets.”
In the “Food Spending” category, the average weekly food spend was $124 in January, up 20% from January 2022. “It’s not surprising to see an increase in food spending, given the high food inflation we’ve had during same period,” said Elijah. Bryant, survey research analyst at CFDAS and co-author of the report.
Consumer inflation expectations and estimates – unchanged from last month – remained slightly down from last summer. However, the Consumer Price Index measure of food inflation in January was 2.7%, down significantly from last year.
And while the rate of food insecurity has reached about 13% since September 2023, the rate of households that received free food decreased to 12% in January from 15% in December.
“With food inflation easing, consumers may be seeing some relief on their wallets, reducing reliance on cheap food to supplement their food purchases,” Bryant said.
The prevalence of overweight is higher among consumers who are food insecure or participate in SNAP. “An income effect may explain this pattern, as there is a higher prevalence of overweight and lower diet quality among low-income consumers,” Bryant said. “Our survey highlights the interconnected problems of food safety and nutrition, and the importance of research to find solutions to both.”
Most Americans are still considered “successful” on the dietary fitness index (63%). However, this average is lower than the 2022 (70%) and 2023 (69%) averages.
Overweight consumers report a slightly lower score on the dietary wellness index compared to non-overweight consumers over the past 25 months, with 66% versus 73% considered “successful,” respectively. “However, it should be noted that the majority of all consumers are satisfied with their diets and their lives,” Bryant said.
The January survey also asked consumers about their trust in food and nutrition information from organizations and professionals charged with protecting public health and the US food system. These include primary care professionals, the Food and Drug Administration, the USDA and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Consumers rated their trust higher in January compared to the 2022 and 2023 averages on the CFDAS trust index.
The Center for Food Demand and Sustainability Analysis is part of Purdue’s Next Moves in agriculture and food systems and uses innovative data analysis shared through easy-to-use platforms to improve the food system. In addition to the Consumer Report on Food Insights, the center offers a portfolio of online programs.
