Retailers and retail dietitians can steer shoppers toward foods that are both convenient and nutritious.

When it comes to food choices, consumers value both convenience and healthfulness. Yet many people believe that these attributes are mutually exclusive. Fortunately, retailers and retail dietitians can show shoppers how convenience and healthful eating can go hand in hand.

The Need for Convenience

While taste (85%) and price (76%) make the most impact on consumers’ food and beverage purchase decisions, healthfulness (62%) and convenience (57%) come next, according to the 2024 IFIC Food & Health Survey from the International Food Information Council. Further, as household income increases, the influence of healthfulness as a purchase driver also increases, reaching 75% for those with the highest household incomes.

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Lack of time due to demanding schedules can drive people who want to eat healthfully toward less nutritious convenience options instead. For instance, 74% of consumers say that they’d be interested in eating a healthier diet if it were more convenient, and 77% say that some days, they’re too exhausted to cook after work, according to a 2024 survey conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Kevin’s Natural Foods. The convenience options chosen most often by time-strapped consumers are sandwiches (42%), fast food (37%), microwavable dinners (33%), frozen convenience foods and meals (31%), and ramen noodles (29%).

Fortunately, retailers and retail dietitians can steer shoppers toward foods that are both convenient and nutritious.