Health and economics combine as consumers look for “nutrient density”
Shoppers have been adding a new consideration to food shopping that could drive premiumization. Increasing GLP-1 use, regulatory pressure on ultra-processed foods and consumers’ concerns about health and wellness are leading to a new decision driver—nutrient density.
A New Health Metric?
Nutrient density isn’t a new concept in nutrition, but consumers have only recently started shopping for it, with the help of some new technology. The concept itself refers to the concentration of essential macro- and micronutrients like fiber, vitamins, minerals, and, notably, protein, relative to calories or actual food weight.
It’s a technical metric, but there are scoring systems to make sense of nutrient density and labelling conventions like “protein per calorie” that embody the logic behind the concept if not the details. Nutrient density itself gets combined into a broader “healthy eating” concept alongside other cues like minimally processed or clean ingredients. Consumers are also turning to label-reading apps to distill nutrition labels into more easily actionable references.
Nutrition Efficiency Brings Economics to Food Decisions
The tendency for consumers to look to maximize nutrients per calorie could be a new reason for them to look to premiumization even in the face of rising prices. Rabobank analysts believe concept of maximizing nutrition per calorie could translate to maximizing nutrition per dollar spent. What may appear to be a purely health-driven shift could also reflect economically rational moves toward products that offer clearer nutritional value even if the price is higher.
Protein is the most visible and actionable nutrient for consumers especially as actual nutrient density remains a tougher metric to understand at a glance. Protein has been typically unchallenged as a healthy nutrient through various diets. It’s also relatively easy to quantify, compare and communicate in grams per serving, per calorie or per dollar. The traditionally understood benefits of higher protein options align well with modern eating patterns and concerns about muscle loss as part of the weight loss affects of GLP-1 drugs.
What does it mean for the food industry?
Most major packaged food manufacturers are responding to these trends. In some cases, new products put nutrient claims front and center in their approach. Challeger brands are also seeking to disrupt legacy categories with healthy alternatives like high-fiber and high-protein mac and cheese. Existing brands are also extending their products with healthier variations like sugar-free cookies and baked alternatives to deep-fried snacks.
More development to come
Consumers’ health concerns aren’t likely to go away. What remains to be seen is whether nutrient density will gain more traction as an explicit consumer claim. For now, it’s an emerging analytical lens that is increasingly shaping how processing, value and growth are assessed in the packaged food industry.
The Rabobank report, Protein economics: How nutrient density can support premium packaged good in the US, gives an in-depth analysis of the emerging trend and its implications for the food industry.
Report Authors
JP Frossard
Senior Analyst — Consumer Foods
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