Consumers Search for Nutrition Truth

A panel of three health-conscious consumers: a state Department of Natural Resources police retiree, a teacher and single mother of two, and a college senior raised in a nutrition-conscious household, told IFT FIRST attendees what they care about when it comes to food, how they conduct their nutrition research, and who they trust (mostly themselves).

Moderated by Kelly Hensel, Food Technology deputy managing editor and IFT’s senior manager of content creation, “Community Conversation: What Consumers Really Think About Health, Diet, and GLP-1s,” was a wide-ranging discussion that offered insights about consumer reactions to today’s health narratives, what resonates with them, what they find confusing, and where those messages simply aren’t landing. The goal, said Bill McDowell, Food Technology editor-in-chief and IFT’s vice president of content and channel strategy, was to develop a “better understanding of how our scientific intentions are showing up in real world decision-making and what that means for how we approach formulation, labeling, and communication.”

Making food decisions, as panelists told Hensel, revolves around getting dinner on the table after a long day, stretching the grocery budget, feeding growing kids, trying to eat healthier, and figuring out who and what to trust, she related.

Though all three are in different life stages, the panelists all said they are concerned about staying well, having energy, and feeling good, and they report struggling to get accurate information about what they are putting in their bodies.

“I’m always looking at protein content. I also think about trying to have more natural ingredients [and avoiding or limiting] dyes and preservatives,” said Amber, the mother of two.

Retiree Kevin expressed shock that the things he used to think were healthy, like some boxed cereals, have too much sugar, in his estimation. “I grew up in a time where we ate everything. [But] when you get older, everything starts to slow down,” he said. He put on weight, which he has since taken off with intermittent fasting, smaller portions, and more fresh produce.

All three panelists, including college senior Ravyn, emphasized the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables to their diets. Protein shakes are on the menu for both Kevin and vegetarian Amber, who relies on beans and other meat alternatives for protein. Finding affordable produce and other gut health-friendly foods is important to Ravyn.

None, however, deny themselves the occasional indulgent snack: potato chips, or other salty or sweet snacks, in moderation, they said.

But when it comes to regular, day-to-day eating and nutritional supplements, all said they are navigating an overwhelming amount of information as best they can to discern what will keep them healthy and strong.

Asked where they go for health and nutrition information, Kevin said, “YouTube University. Google.” He seeks out doctors and other professionals online for advice. With his new eating regimen, he says his mind is clearer and he sleeps much better.

“I don’t know that I trust anything fully," Amber said. “You get inundated on social media. I don’t know that I can say I trust any [one] source, but I’m constantly looking ... to try and see what sticks.”

All said they read labels. “I want to see words I can pronounce. I want to see ingredients that seem like whole, real foods. I don’t want to see a bunch of chemicals ... or things where I’m like, I don’t even know what this is,” Amber added.

“It’s definitely hard right now because I feel like every time I try to learn something, it’s all like Google AI ... and I just don’t trust anything that AI says, so it’s really hard to research what actually will work,” Ravyn said.

Asked what they once believed, but no longer do, Kevin replied, “What really, really upset me ... is I used to love bran flakes. I used to eat that cereal every morning. I thought it was healthy. The box says it’s healthy.” But since he started reading the label, he realized he was eating “probably 100 grams of sugar!” in a sitting. “I didn’t even know! Sugar is the bad guy in everything!”

You “really have to be a Sherlock Holmes ... We are on our own,” he concluded.

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