Not everyone in the U.S. cares about eating healthy foods, and those who do can vary by region. Amid all of the package promises of health benefits, ingredients and product origins, though, some words can be more effective than others when selling soups and cereal.
Whole grain proved to be a popular attraction in the results from a February 2013 Packaged Facts Shopper Insights survey that asked average and health-minded shoppers about what they look for when they when they go searching for groceries.
Based on the input of 1,500 adults in the online consumer survey, this how 15 common food characteristics ranked in terms of positive responses when survey takers were asked, "When shopping for groceries, do you seek out food products with any of these characteristics of package labels/claims?":
OVERALL
- Whole grain: 45%
- High fiber: 34%
- Multi-grain: 34%
- Low-sugar/sugar-free: 30%
- Local: 29%
- Natural: 28%
- No trans fat: 28%
- Low-fat/non-fat: 25%
- Organic: 24%
- Low/no cholesterol: 22%
- Low-salt/salt-free: 21%
- High omega-3: 18%
- High calcium: 18%
- High protein: 18%
- High antioxidant: 17%
AMONG THOSE TRYING TO EAT MORE HEALTHFULLY
- Whole grain: 53%
- High fiber: 40%
- Multi-grain: 39%
- Low-sugar/sugar-free: 34%
- Local: 33%
- Natural: 33%
- No trans fat: 33%
- Organic: 29%
- Low-fat/non-fat: 29%
- Low/no cholesterol: 25%
- Low-salt/salt-free: 24%
- High omega-3: 22%
- High calcium: 21%
- High protein: 21%
- High antioxidant: 20%
Would you like to see more food and beverage industry news and information like this in your inbox on a daily basis? Subscribe to our Food Dive email newsletter! You may also want to check out Food Dive's look at the age when hot sauce use jumps off a cliff.