凯爱瑞营养研究院（Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute）最新年度趋势发布

近期，凯爱瑞营养研究院（Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute，以下简称KHNI）发布了2026年全球健康与营养趋势。本年度趋势基于凯爱瑞集团内外部专家的多轮研讨，深度分析众多国家和地区的市场情况，为营养市场以及更广阔的食品饮料产业提供前瞻性观点。

2026年全球健康与营养趋势：

1. 食品，赋能健康与长寿
2. 法规调整与配方重构
3. 技术演进与创新
4. 重新审视加工食品：在营养价值和全球需求间寻求平衡
5. 保护自然与生物多样性，塑造供应链韧性

1. 食品，赋能健康与长寿

KHNI指出，到2030年，全球每6人中就有一位年龄超过60岁。截至2024年末，我国60岁及以上人口增长至3.1亿，占总人口的22%，老龄化程度尤为显著。

随着预期寿命增长，社会关注的焦点正从延长寿命转向延长“健康寿命”。在这一过程中，营养摄入发挥着关键的作用。同时，人们逐渐认识到，健康并非孤立的概念，而是心理、生理与社会福利交融的整体。

KHNI重点关注领域：体重管理药物，基于性别的差异化健康管理，可负担的营养，免疫健康，肠道健康，认知健康

中国重点趋势解读：

• • 体重管理药物
    2024年，司美格鲁肽火爆出圈。2025年，国产GLP-1类药物上市步伐加快，银诺医药、信达生物、博安生物、派格生物的GLP-1类药物先后获批。618期间，京东健康平台GLP-1类用药销量同比增长超3倍，反映出国人对体重管理的庞大需求。

在拥抱这一类体重管理方案的时候，我们也需要看到便秘、腹泻、恶心等常见副作用，探索更舒适的体重管理方式。

• • 基于性别的差异化健康管理
    在女性健康创新方面，生育期支持、更年期管理与激素平衡是值得关注的方向。其中，更年期女性卵巢功能衰退，雌激素水平下降，会导致一系列生理和心理变化。

在政策支持和社会热度方面，2025年可谓“更年期元年”。中国疾病预防控制中心完成《中国女性更年期症状首次大规模调查》，大陆首部以明星视角聚焦更年期的纪实片《看不见的更年期》引发强烈反响。值得注意的是，健康需求的精细化也并不局限于女性市场，男性健康产品也呈现出从“广泛”到“细分”的趋势。

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2. 法规调整与配方重构

各国政府正在大力推行更健康的食品饮料政策。在法规要求与消费需求等多重驱动下，企业也在积极推动产品配方升级，通过透明度和安全性构建消费者信任。

例如，马来西亚在实施含糖饮料税的基础上，将推行饮料强制性营养分级标识；阿联酋将推行强制性的“营养标记”；澳大利亚和新西兰正在考虑强制推行“健康星级评级”系统……在我国，关于“预包装食品营养标签”和“食品添加剂”使用的法规也在日趋严格和完善。

KHNI重点关注领域：法规与政策调整，围绕减糖、减钠、减脂的配方重构

中国重点趋势解读：

• •  法规与政策调整
    《食品安全国家标准 食品添加剂使用标准》（GB 2760-2024）于今年2月正式实施，对防腐剂、甜味剂提出了更高的要求。
    • 防腐剂：全面禁止传统防腐剂脱氢乙酸钠在糕点、面包等7类食品中的使用。领先企业已经开始升级配方，探索天然发酵产品，如采用发酵工艺产生的抗菌物质来实现防腐目标。
    • 甜味剂：规定阿斯巴甜、安赛蜜与天门冬酰苯丙氨酸甲酯乙酰磺胺酸共同使用时，总量不得超过单一甜味剂的最大限量。鼓励企业采用复合甜味系统，通过科学配比天然甜味剂和风味调节剂，在减少糖分的同时保持理想的口感体验。

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3. 技术演进与创新

微生物学、生物加工和人工智能的进步正在改变食品的生产方式，使其更智能、高效、可持续。KHNI指出，凭借生物工程技术的升级，科学家们可以对氨基酸序列进行精确修饰，实现对酶活性、选择性与稳定性等关键特性的调控，改进酶制剂，从而运用更少的资源，生产风味更佳的食品。

KHNI重点关注领域：精准营养，生物技术，人工智能

中国重点趋势解读：

• • 精准营养
    基因组学、可穿戴设备、AI技术的发展，推动精准营养从高端服务走向大众日常。它们的功能不仅限于追踪热量与营养摄入，更能引导个性化饮食和营养选择。

     例如，国内某基因检测品牌，基于用户的基因检测结果，有针对性地推荐营养补充剂；某营养补充剂品牌，通过FFQ饮食调查和多维度问卷信息收集，了解用户的身体状态和生活方式，量身定制营养方案。

• • 人工智能
    人工智能的发展，将血糖、微生物组等实时健康数据汇入精准营养平台。例如某血糖监测仪品牌，采用独家算法模型，定制多维度血糖报告与控糖分析，并提供AI智能助手，给予即时反馈与建议。

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4. 重新审视加工食品：在营养价值和全球需求间寻求平衡

联合国经济和社会事务部预测数据显示，全球人口预计将在2050年达到100亿。食品加工在保障粮食供应方面扮演着关键角色。它有助于延长保质期，减少浪费，对于因气候导致作物歉收和粮食不安全的地区至关重要。

不过，世界卫生组织对过度食用深度加工食品的危害性也发出了警告，例如加工肉类和含糖饮料可能会引发肥胖、2型糖尿病和心血管疾病等健康问题。对此，许多国家已采用“包装正面标识系统”来引导消费者做出更健康的选择。

KHNI重点关注领域：清晰标识助力明智决策，加工食品管控趋严，加工食品的增益价值

中国重点趋势解读：

• • 清晰标识助力明智决策
    该领域强调保障消费者知情权，帮助消费者解读食品标签。在我国，《食品安全国家标准 预包装食品营养标签通则》（GB 28050-2025）于今年3月正式发布。该通则规定：

1. 1. 1. 营养成分表须强制标识饱和脂肪（或饱和脂肪酸）与糖，以及“儿童青少年应避免过量摄入盐油糖”的引导。
      2. 明确“零脂、零卡、零糖”宣称的具体要求，并增添同义语说明

• • 加工食品管控趋严
    某连锁餐饮品牌因预制菜风波引发广泛争议。这场讨论本身，正推动社会形成一种更成熟的共识——我们需要的并非简单否定现代食品加工技术，而是以更加清晰、统一的标准去管理加工食品。通过严格透明的评估体系，使其在保障安全、效率、便利性与可及性的同时，更好地服务于人们对健康与美味的追求。

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5. 保护自然与生物多样性，塑造供应链韧性

KHNI指出，“可持续饮食”的要求是在满足当代人健康需求的同时，不损害后代的利益和需求。根据联合国粮农组织的定义，它应当促进健康、减少环境影响、尊重文化，并且可及、可负担、安全、公平。为此，食品行业需要提升营养标准，保护生态与生物多样性，通过各类举措减少浪费，并建设能抵御气候与经济波动的食品体系。相关的创新解决方案正在不断涌现。

KHNI重点关注领域：可持续营养，塑造更具韧性的供应链，再生农业，循环利用减少浪费

中国重点趋势解读：

• • 塑造更具韧性的供应链
    供应链韧性来自原料的采购和优化，也来自于行业中的一些“隐形创新”，例如通过风味提取技术重新制定配方，保障食品供应的稳定性和产品价格的可负担性。以近年来的可可供应问题为例，可可替代方案和风味提升技术，能够帮助下游客户在不增加可可粉添加量的条件下，提升可可风味，达到与高添加可可粉同等的效果。
  • 循环利用减少浪费
    KHNI指出，减少浪费的方式包括：使用可循环利用的原料和“0废弃”包装，在供应链各个环节设定“减少浪费”的目标，通过先进技术将废弃物转化为美味，从而系统性降低碳足迹，推动可持续发展。

而这也是契合我国“双碳”目标的行业行动。国务院新闻办公室发布的《碳达峰碳中和的中国行动》白皮书强调，节能是从源头减少碳排放的重要抓手，循环经济对碳减排具有重要促进作用。

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本文是基于KHNI五大趋势围绕中国市场进行解读，如需精准核对，请以原文为准。

The KHNI Health and Nutrition Megatrends, now in its eighth edition, highlights the scientific, technological, and consumer-driven changes redefining global food systems.

On Monday, September 22nd, the Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute (KHNI) is hosting an exciting Smart Bites Showdown game for participants.

This event will be focusing on three of KHNI’s top 10 trends for 2025, which are most relevant to the US.  Subject matter experts will speak on each trend, and between these sessions there will be game-show-style rounds with audience members going head-to-head.

The three trends which will be in the spotlight at this event will be:
1. Weight Management & Satiety – Elizabeth Horvath, VP of Marketing at Kerry, will take us through the shifts that GLP-1 medication is having on consumers behaviors today.

2. Policy Shifts – Juan Aguiriano, Head of Sustainability at Kerry, will talk about the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ (MAHA) campaign in the US and how shifts in policy, health, and consumers behaviors are pushing us towards reformulation.

3. Accessible Nutrition – Professor Martin Bloem, Professor of Environmental Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will talk about ensuring we can sustain the population with solutions for nutrition and nature in harmony.

This is a dynamic and engaging event not to be missed! Sign up to express interest in joining us for this fun and informative event here.

On April 8th, 2025, the Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute (KHNI) hosted a webinar titled “What’s Shaping the Future of Food: Key Health and Nutrition Trends for 2025.”  Experts in neuroscience, nutrition, food science, and sports performance explored how evolving science and consumer needs are shaping the future of food.  Dr. Laura Collins and Dr. Zane Andrews highlighted the complex drivers behind why we eat (ranging from biological signals to social context and trends).  Understanding these factors are key to designing effective, sustainable nutrition solutions.

Insights from Dr. Lisa Ryan and Dr. David Dunne on elite sport athletes demonstrate how motivation, habit, and environment influence food choices, principles that are increasingly relevant beyond athletics.  The panel emphasised that while personalised nutrition tools and wearables are advancing rapidly, long-term behaviour change still centres on simplicity, taste, and social reinforcement.

Healthy aging was also discussed, with growing evidence supporting the role of nutrients like protein and omega-3s in maintaining physical and cognitive function.  Dr. Ryan and Dr. Andrews pointed out the unique challenges that the food industry must consider such as age-related shifts in appetite, sensory perception, and social interaction.

The rise of GLP-1 medications was also explored, with discussions around their impact on appetite, nutritional needs, social eating, and possible long-term health implications.  While these therapies show promise for metabolic health and weight management, they also highlight the need for complementary strategies—such as probiotics to support GI symptoms and behavioural guidance from doctors/nutritionists to ensure sustainable outcomes.

Finally, the panel addressed the role of ultra-processed foods and reformulation.  While often viewed negatively, these foods remain an important source of nutrition for many.  Improving their nutritional quality through innovation in ingredients and sensory design represents a meaningful opportunity for the food industry to support public health while acknowledging necessity of ultra-processed foods.

As insights from neuroscience, sports science, technology, and food science expand further, opportunities to create sustainable nutrition solutions continue to grow.  For science-led innovation to be impactful, it must be delivered in a way that fits naturally into people’s unique lives.  Whether supporting healthy aging, optimising performance, or enabling sustainable nutrition and weight management, the opportunities for the food industry will be in bridging scientific progress with everyday life.

For more on these topics and more see KHNI Health and Nutrition trends.  Register to our monthly newsletter to stay up to date with these insights and more.

• Dietary recommendations change because science develops new understanding
• It is key to focus on an entire food’s role in health, not just one nutrient or chemical within that food

One of the most common criticisms of nutrition science is how confusing it can be. Recommendations will change from “eggs are unhealthy, avoid them” to “eggs are healthy, eat more of them” in a short time span.

The purpose of this article to explain why this happens. The reality is, nutrition is a relatively new and constantly evolving science. It’s a good thing that we see dietary recommendations change, because it means we learned something new and can apply those learnings to improve health.

The downside is it results in confusing messages for people. So, let’s walk through a couple of the most confusing food stories in recent decades and see what there is to learn.

Foods like eggs or coffee, staples for breakfasts far and wide, have both been a part of the human diet for centuries. For many years, though, we were encouraged not to consume them regularly lest we shorten our life span. For eggs, the concern was focused on the amount of cholesterol in an egg, thought to be associated with heart disease. For coffee, it was the caffeine.  So, when did the egg- and coffee-shaming begin?

Are eggs healthy or not?

It all began in 1968 when the American Heart Association (AHA) recommended that people consume no more than 3 eggs yolks per week to lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) [AHA 1968].  From the perspective of a health care provider, it was simple to explain to explain the link between dietary cholesterol and high blood cholesterol, and for patients it was an easy dietary modification.  It appeared to be a win-win for everyone, unless you were an egg farmer.

Not until 1999, when Hu et al. published a large, long-term population study on egg intake and heart disease incidence did we start looking at the egg differently.  The study, which included over 117,000 men and women, found  there was no difference in CVD risk between people who ate one egg/week and those who ate one egg /day.  Since then, multiple epidemiological and meta-analyses have reached the same conclusion [McNamara 2015].

Eggs are more than their cholesterol content

One theory is that dietary cholesterol does not impact our blood cholesterol as much as we once thought. Another theory, which is becoming more common in nutrition science, is that foods can be more than the sum of their parts, just as we’ve seen with dairy.

The ‘incredible edible egg’ is packed full with all kinds of nutritional goodies. Yes, one medium egg does have half of the daily value for cholesterol, but with it comes 6 grams of complete protein and many micronutrients that many people in the United States do not get enough of, like calcium, potassium, and choline, according to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines.

For egg-lovers and the egg farmers, nutrition science continues to show how important eggs are in our diet.  Two recent studies have further supported the health benefits of eggs.  The first, a 9 year cohort study, examined the effect of egg consumption in over 415,000 subjects who were free of any chronic disease (e.g. heart disease, diabetes) at the beginning of the study.  Researchers found that 13% of the subjects had at least one or more servings of eggs a day, and 9% rarely consumed eggs.  After nine years, the people that ate eggs every day had lower overall heart disease risk, with up to 26% less risk of hemorrhagic stroke, 28% less risk of dying from a hemorrhagic stroke, and 18% less risk of lethal complication from CVD.

The second study was designed to determine the effects of either high (>12 eggs/wk) or low (<2 eggs/wk) egg consumption in people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes (T2D) on a 3-month energy-restricted diet [Fuller 2018].  Weight loss was similar between groups and there were no differences between groups in glycemia, traditional serum lipids, markers of inflammation, or oxidative stress. Interestingly, the presence of 12 eggs/week did not lead to weight gain [Fuller 2018].

Our understanding of egg’s role in a healthy diet has evolved quite a bit since 1968, which is why we have seen recommendations change over that period of time.

Is coffee healthy or not?

“Coffee: it will stunt your growth, give you a stomach ulcer and increase your risk for heart disease!” Does this quote sound familiar?  For years doctors warned their patients not to drink coffee because of its purported negative health effects.  There was also concern that when people drink coffee, they would become addicted to the “energy” they felt from the caffeine.  As people increased their coffee consumption, they would develop a tolerance to caffeine and would need to drink more coffee in order to get that energized feeling.  Thankfully for the more than 60% of Americans that drink at least one cup of coffee a day, research is now starting to highlight coffee’s positive health benefits and debunk the previous negative [Daily Coffee News].

So, why the change in heart? It is partly due to the recognition that the earlier studies on coffee did not account for common high-risk behaviors among heavy coffee drinkers (e.g. smoking, alcohol, physical inactivity) that each have their own role in heart disease risk [Mayo Clinic].  Scientists are also now identifying many components in coffee with potential healthful benefits (e.g. antioxidants, caffeic acid, cafestol, and so on) [Mellbye 2018, Kang 2009].   

Other studies have suggested that drinking 3-4 cups of coffee per day is associated with ~25% lower risk of developing T2D compared to people consuming < 2 cups coffee per day [Huxley 2009, Santos 2016, Jiang 2014].

Where do things stand now? The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reviewed the literature on coffee’s link to health, and found that moderate coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. The science also showed that both decaffeinated and caffeinated coffee were associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Finally, caffeine intake from coffee was associated with improved cognitive health and could play a role in preventing Parkinson’s disease [Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee].

Coffee, cancer, and California: Missing the forest for the trees

Despite this evidence, debate around coffee continues. In 2018, California made an attempt to require warnings on coffee regarding a possible role in causing cancer, under Proposition 65, due to its acrylamide content. Scientists across the globe gathered to debate this legislation, due to the association between coffee consumption and the positive health outcomes listed above, and the legislation was eventually overturned.

This is a great example of the mistakes that can be made when we focus on one specific chemical or nutrient in a food, rather than the whole food’s role in health.

Moderation is key

While it the tide has definitely changed for coffee and health, it is important to keep in mind that the too much of anything is not necessarily a good thing, and coffee is no exception.   For example, high consumption of unfiltered coffee (boiled or espresso) has been associated with mild elevations in serum cholesterol [Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee].

It is also generally recommended that people consume no more than 200 mg of caffeine at once, and no more than 400 mg of caffeine over the course of a day [ILSI NA]. We are still learning how different individuals metabolize caffeine, so these are recommendations for populations rather than specific individuals.

The bottom line: use moderation and focus on the big picture

The verdict for eggs and coffee- they have their place in a healthy diet, but moderation is key.  So go ahead and have coffee with your eggs in the morning, just keep an eye on the calories you may be adding to the eggs with different ingredients (e.g. butter) or the cream, sugar, or syrups in coffee.

Serving on scientific or government panels, being approached by media for expert opinions, explaining a technology or product to a sales team or prospective clients, giving a talk at a public education event, writing a blog article or social media post on a scientific topic … I believe many nutritionists and food scientists will be familiar with some of these scenarios.

What do these scenarios have in common? It all involves communicating science to people who may not be scientists, a skill called ‘science communication’. It is not easy to engage non-scientist with scientific topics. They have plenty of things competing for their attention, jargon can be a barrier if it’s not explained, and the relevance to their life may not be immediately clear. Based on my science communication background in the Netherlands, and experience at the EU FoodRisC (Food risk and benefit communication) project, I offer three science communication tips.

Tip 1: Know your audience

Imagine a nutritionist travelled to another country to give a talk on folic acid fortified foods and their importance during pregnancy at a huge food festival. She was quoting the best-known health organisations, citing hard statistics, telling real personal stories; everything she thought she needed to do to teach an audience. She was almost running out of her ‘weapons’. However, the audience still didn’t seem engaged.

Feeling disappointed, she finished her talk and sat back to the bench. Someone kindly tapped on her shoulder “you did a very good job, it’s just that the women in the audience did not see the relevance because they might not be planning for a baby. The funny thing is, in this country half of pregnancies are unplanned”.

Suddenly, this nutritionist realized where the problem was: she didn’t connect with her audience. She should have first acknowledge that folic acid is relevant even to women who are not planning a pregnancy.

One of the key fundamentals highlighted in the European Commission’s science communication idea book and AAAS (American Association for The Advancement of Science)’s communication toolkit is audience engagement. Basically, good science communication should be based on understanding of the audience. Scientists should arouse the audience’s interest and sense of relevance at the start, and then communicate their ideas in ways that meets the audience’s expectation.

So, how to do this? When preparing for presentations, media interviews, etc, scientists could ask themselves a few questions (see the figure below). To get the answers, they could reach out to the organizer/reporter/point of contact for information about the audience’s interest. They could arrive early to meet the audience or take a quick poll if it is a face-to-face communication event. Or they could do a bit of research online. Whenever possible, think carefully about the needs and expectations of your audience in advance.

Tip 2: “Weather is your current mood, and climate is your personality” – the power of analogies and metaphors

Struggling with explaining something complex? Analogies and metaphors can be useful tools. Basically, you use comparisons, and refer to things the audience is familiar with to explain the scientific concept. Analogies and metaphors have been widely used by good science teachers to build “conceptual bridges” for pupils to grasp concepts. For sure, the same methods could be used for communicating with adults.  Below are a few excellent examples showing how analogies and metaphors can help to explain food and nutrition related concepts. The examples are from the Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute best articles of 2018 and Food Insight (the official site of the International Food Information Council Foundation).

Tip 3: Words matter

My first experience of science communication was to explain my bio-technology dissertation to my parents at the graduation ceremony. That was 12 years ago. I was passionately describing how I built up a ‘model’ to simulate the interactions between two proteins. After five minutes, my dad could not resist to interrupt: “so this model is not a person, is it?”. Apparently, he was thinking about a ‘fashion model’, and that is what an ordinary person normally relates to when they heard of the word ‘model’.

The common definition of a word may vary between scientists and the public. To avoid miscommunication, it is worth checking this table − ‘Terms that have different meaning for scientists and the public’. A more complete version is available at this public Google Docs spreadsheet. This brilliant material was generated by Dr. Thaler, an ecologist and population geneticist who is enthusiastic about public engagement with science. Below, I’ve extracted some examples to give you a taste.

Terms that have different meaning for scientists and the public

More resources on science communication

• AAAS Communicating Science Workshops. AAAS offers standard workshops, mini-workshops, shorter seminars and individualized coaching on science communication. Their facilitators/coaches can travel to your organisation to do group or individual based training The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an US based international NGO, the world’s largest general scientific society and the publisher of the well-known journal ‘Science’.
• EURAXESS 2017 science communication brief books (very visual and easy to read): Three free downloadable Idea Books with hands –on tips regarding science communication: 1) communicating science; 2) presentations; and 3) graphs and graphics. These materials are used at the Science Communication workshop organized by EURAXESS (an EU initiative supporting professional researchers). All these three books are like presentation hand-outs with many visual elements, so the readers will never get bored.
• (European Commission) Communicating Science – a scientist’s survival kit. A 76-page book with thorough but easy-to-digest knowledge on science communication.
• Brown University’s Quick Guide to Science communication. A 16-page documents with bullet-point-style principals to guide you through science communication. This material can be used as a check list, but it also offers links for further reading.
• Two resource centers regarding communicating science to the Media. 1) http://www.ashg.org/press/scientist_media.shtml, 2) https://www.scidev.net/global/content/practical-guides.htmlMost relevant to scientists who may have to deal with media in some cases, and some proactive ‘ambassadors’ who are keen to communicate new science or new technologies through media.

It’s not a big deal if it happens here or there, but if you’re someone who travels a lot, this can add up in the long run. Here are some helpful tips to avoid having your health be disrupted by travel.

1. Time your meals and snacks to be consistent with your normal routine

One important strategy is to try to keep your food intake as close to normal as possible. Our bodies like consistency, so when we shake up our schedule it can take some time for our hunger signals to adjust. This means planning to eat meals at times you’d normally eat. If you’re in a hotel, set your alarm to wake up at a time close to when you’d usually wake up and have breakfast. Plan to have snacks at the times you’d usually eat snacks. If you’ll be on the road when you’d usually be having something to eat, try to plan ahead for what food choice you’ll make so you’re ready when your normal mealtime comes around.

This gets a lot harder when crossing multiple time zones. If time changes mean you’ll end up sleeping during a time you’d normally have a meal, try to have a snack before you go to sleep so you don’t wake up as hungry. High protein snacks (yogurt, nuts, cheese, etc) are great choices since protein can help us feel full longer.

The more hunger we feel, the harder it is to make a healthy choice. Staying consistent with our usual eating patterns can not only help us make the right food choices, but also gives a sense of normalcy while traveling and is a great way to improve mental and physical well-being on the go.

2. Be prepared

Packing meals and snacks helps tremendously with tip #1. You never know when you’re going to be stuck on a plane or not have access to food during a time you’d normally be eating, and for me that added desperation makes the hunger feel so much worse.

If you have kids, you probably know how chaotic it can be when their snacktime rolls around and you find you forgot to pack anything for them to eat. A hungry kid can often be more easily upset, especially when young, can bring all kinds of unpredictability to your day.

Deep down, we are still like that as adults, we have just learned to repress our screaming and tantrums – instead we just silently suffer with hunger. The phrase ‘hangry’ comes to mind. Treat your hunger just like you would treat your kid’s!

3. Choose the right foods

Most dietary recommendations suggest people should get more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, so these are great to focus on when deciding what snacks to pack or meals to prepare ahead of time. Convenience is often the #1 priority when traveling, so be realistic with your food choices. It’s not safe to eat a salad while you’re driving, and the nose of your neighbor on the plane probably won’t be thrilled if you somehow managed to pack yourself some grilled fish.

Dried fruit and nuts can make a great snack, as long as you are aware of the proper portion sizes. It’s easy to end up eating 500 calories after a few handfuls before you realize it! Convenient fruits and vegetables like bananas, apples, or carrots can be good choices for cars or planes. Fruit and vegetable 100% juice blends can offer fruit and vegetable servings in a convenient package, although this can also be easy to consume too much of – aim for 4-6 oz rather than an entire bottle. High protein, whole grain snack bars can also be a good option.

More and more products are offering fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains in convenient formats like dried, poppable bites, scoops, bars, and beverages, so keep your eye out for these if you’re looking to try new things.

At breakfast time, one trick is to add more protein, since many people don’t get enough protein early in the day. Most breakfast foods are high in carbohydrates and low in protein, like cereal, bagels, pastries, muffins, and things like that. Adding more protein to breakfast helps people feel full longer, and it also helps our bodies hold on to our muscle mass when we’re losing weight. If you’re facing down a hotel breakfast buffet, try to choose some protein-boosting strategies like adding peanut butter, protein powder, eggs, or dairy foods like milk or yogurt to your breakfast.

One of the biggest challenges when traveling can be eating out at restaurants, where large portion sizes loom. These aren’t bad every once in a while, but if you’re traveling for a few days the feeling of being stuffed can wear you down.

Some tips for dining out might include:

• Ask the server to put half of your dish in a to-go container, so you’re only eating a half portion. If where you’re staying doesn’t have a refrigerator, share a meal with someone.
• Choose smaller dishes, like salad paired with an appetizer, or choose a few plates to share among the table.
• Use menu nutrition information, if it’s available, to help guide your choices.

The hardest time to eat healthy is when we’re unprepared. We lose a lot of the control we normally have over our lives when traveling, so use these tips to try to gain some of it back.

Whilst half of European consumers are actively looking to manage their weight and their calorie intake, obesity is on the rise and 4 of the top 8 causes of death in Europe are nutrition-related. It is evident that consumers struggle to stick to their good intentions, but these struggles are not the same across all moments of the day or food categories.

ConsumerFirst is one of the largest food and beverage studies in Europe that identifies why consumers needs change throughout the day, interviewing 8,500 consumers across five European countries about their attitudes towards taste, nutrition, food and beverages. The goal of the study is to help brands and business tailor product innovation to these needs and benefits that consumers desire from different product categories at different points of the day.

Good Intentions Start Highest in the Morning

Consumers tend towards healthier options at the start of a day and consequently take calorie reduction and weight management into account more in the mornings. This results in consumers taking a more active stance on monitoring their calorie intake through Cereals and Dairy.

For example, this data from the research implies that spoonable yoghurt plays a functional role to consumers. They look to it to improve their diet and manage weight, which means that calorie reductions that help them achieve these goals would be meaningful. The study showed drinkable yoghurts were related to emotional needs, meaning they may not fill the same eating occasion or purpose to consumers.

Specialised nutrition is another avenue people use for healthier options. For nearly a third of those who consume powdered protein shakes, weight management plays a role in their decision. This compares to (only) a fifth of those who consume ready-to-drink (RTD) protein shakes or sports nutrition bars. In other words, those consuming powdered nutrition supplements may be more receptive to calorie-reduced products than those choosing RTD or bars as their way to supplement nutrition in their diet.

Emotion Takes Over as the Day Goes On

Comparing the results for yoghurt above to a product category like ready meals, we see that emotion becomes a much stronger driver for food choice in dayparts where ready meals would be consumed, like the evening.

‘Satisfy hunger’ is the dominant driver at this time, and feeling healthy is secondary. However, this doesn’t mean health isn’t important at these eating occasions. In fact, efforts by the industry to improve healthfulness of foods at these eating occasions may be even more important. These consumers still want to achieve health outcomes like a healthy weight, but they are less likely to make choices that help them achieve that goal. By improving the nutrition of these food products, the industry can help consumers make healthier choices when they need that help the most.

Since feeling healthy is a secondary need to satisfying hunger for consumers in categories like this, improving nutrition should not make consumers feel like their fullness or satisfaction with the meal will be compromised as a result. Categories like these are where ‘stealth health’ approaches work well.

Remember Consumer Needs When Choosing Solutions

Keeping these differences across time of day and product category in mind, food and beverage manufacturers can focus efforts for calorie-reduction on the categories where consumers struggle more, like those most prominent in the afternoons and evenings. Maybe even more importantly, healthy consumers and indulgent consumers are often the same people, they just have different attitudes toward food at different eating occasions. By keeping that in mind while using data like that from the survey above, we can identify which occasions have the most impact on consumer health.

For more information on the insights gained from this study on consumer segmentation, check out this article.

Researchers provided study participants either creamy tomato soup or custard in four fat concentrations (0, 7.5, 15, or 30% fat), combined with four salt concentrations in the soup (0.04, 0.35, 0.7, or 1.5%), and four sugar concentrations in the custard (0.56, 4.5, 9, 18%). The goal was to determine the extent to which fat content impacted perception of salt or sweet flavors, as well as overall liking.

When it came to salt, the relationship was simple: fat and salt independently affected how much participants enjoyed the soup. In other words, more salt=tasty, and more fat=tasty. The relationship was more complicated for sugar in the custard, though. Although fat and sugar both impacted how much participants enjoyed the custard, there was also an interaction between the two nutrients that affected how pleasant the custard tasted. This could mean that more sugar+more fat=tastier than having more of either alone.

The study findings have interesting implications for the food and beverage industry. The researchers noted that sugar and salt both had stronger impact on liking of the foods than fat content. However, with the strong drive to reduce sugar and salt across product categories, keeping fat at reasonable levels in products could help solve some of the taste challenges that come with reduction of these nutrients.

For more information on healthy weight management, check out our blog Moving From Weight Management to Weight Wellness by Barbara Lyle, PhD.