Do You Eat Well?

By Steve Markenson, Director of Research, Food Marketing Institute

Did you eat well on July 4^th? I am guessing food was a key part of your holiday activities, most likely a traditional barbeque. If I ask - did you “eat well?” How would you answer? Did you have tasty burgers and hot dogs? Did you have a fresh, nutritious salad? I am guessing the answer for many of you is yes to each of these questions. But what were you really thinking about when I asked did you “eat well?” Joey Chestnut would probably think about the 74 hot dogs he ate in ten minutes to win his 11^th Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. That may be extreme and I am not sure I would call that eating well.

This year’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends study asks this very question of shoppers and further explores what it means to Americans to “eat well.” The answers may surprise you, while also give insight into what food retailers can do to better connect with shoppers. While “eating well” used to be about sustenance and getting enough food, in recent years it has evolved to partaking in healthy and nutritious food. Today, eating well for consumers has further evolved to enjoyment, discovery and making mindful connections with the food we eat. Some still define eating well as having a hearty, filling meal, but probably not as hearty as Joey Chestnut’s July 4^th meal. For many, the focus is on taste and/or nutrition of their meal. While there are yet others who define eating well by their budget. Within and around each of these, there are further levels of nuance to explore.

The challenge for food retailers is to be able to understand the shopper’s mindset and help the shopper to be able to shop well so that they can “eat well.”

As the U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends study explores what it means to eat well, most shoppers are not satisfied with how they have eaten in the past week. Further, most shoppers believe that their diets can be healthier and they are concerned about the nutritional content of the foods they eat. What can food retailers do to help shoppers shop well? How do consumers perceive the role of their grocery store?  What do they want from their grocery store to help them “eat well?”

Join us on July 31^st for the second in the blockbuster, must-see Trends trilogy of webinars from FMI studios as we explore consumers’ desire to “eat well” and strive to answer these important questions for the food retail industry.      

Register for Our Second Trends Webinar