Summary
- Consumers doubt healthy indulgence: many people believe healthy products can’t taste good and expect trade‑offs in flavour, texture and enjoyment.
- Certain claims and formulations, such as low-sugar and UPF protein products, are often seen as unrealistic or misleading.
- Brands can make healthy indulgence believable to build trust and signal quality.
The health and wellness food and beverage market is expected to surpass two trillion dollars by 2032, making the space ripe for product development innovation.
Yet, some consumers remain unconvinced that products branded as ‘healthy’ can be enjoyable at the same time.
According to research carried out by the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, many consumers expect healthy-indulgent products – such as granola bars, low-calorie ice cream, protein yogurts or dark chocolate – to have trade-offs around taste or value.
Doubt is fueled by beliefs that taste is linked to sugar and fat content; that ‘healthy’ products cannot be indulgent, and that ultra-processed foods such as protein bars are no match for traditional alternatives in terms of sensory experience.
The claims consumers distrust the most
Low-sugar and sugar-free
Some of the label claims consumers feel most doubtful about are reduced-sugar and sugar-free. This is because shoppers associate sweetness with pleasure and fear that sugar is being replaced with artificial sweeteners.
One respondent told the researchers they found it “rather implausible to be able to combine the absence of sugar with a product that would be rich in flavour”, while another said promises of less sugar were “least convincing, because instead of sugar some sweeteners are used”.
On the other hand, products that contain only natural sugars are viewed positively.
Healthy and indulgent
Another category that shoppers feel doubtful about are products positioned as both healthy and indulgent – such as protein bars or low-calorie ice cream.
This skepticism is deeply-rooted (more on that later) but at its core is disbelief that products can deliver an enjoyable sensory experience while also being healthy.
Natural ingredients are less indulgent
When formulating healthy indulgent products, natural ingredients are food and beverage brands’ go-to. But for some shoppers, the presence of natural ingredients doesn’t align with good taste or a sense of indulgence.
Whole grains in particular can be prone to being viewed as less ‘treat-like’, despite their health halo, according to the research.
Ultra-processed products are not as tasty
Protein-rich food and beverage innovation is booming thanks to overwhelming consumer demand.
According to Nielsen IQ scan data, unit sales of products that carried protein claims rose by 4.6% in the US alone last year. The trend is only expected to accelerate in the future, driven by dietary trends including weight management.
But some consumers doubt that these products can deliver the level of taste and indulgence they’ve come to expect from traditional treats.
This is because many of these products claim to balance enjoyment and healthfulness – something that consumers view as unrealistic.
Why consumers are skeptical
This skepticism is deeply-rooted, according to Aaurhus University professor of marketing Klaus G. Grunert who is also the lead of the EIT Food Consumer Observatory.
“There is a much-ingrained conviction among many people that healthiness and pleasure are not compatible,” he told us, “at least when it comes to food.
“And that has been demonstrated in many contexts that people think if something is healthy, it cannot be tasty, and vice-versa.”
In some cases, the opposite logic applies: products that are clearly positioned as rich and indulgent are viewed as highly appealing.
“There is ample research showing that for some indulgent products, the fact that they are viewed as ‘unhealthy’ is actually attractive,” Grunert said. “You’re doing something that’s a bit sinful, which can add to the attraction of eating this particular product.”
What F&B brands can do to make healthy indulgence believable
There are several levers brands can pull to make healthy indulgence more appealing to consumers.
These include using natural, familiar ingredients; positioning products as everyday staples; and leaning on premiumisation as a way to signal superior quality and value.
Naturalness
“Naturalness is a very strong motivator for a food choice,” Grunert told us. “And research on naturalness perception shows very clearly that if a food is natural, it’s almost the same as saying it’s universally good.
“If it’s natural, people think it’s healthy, tasty, authentic, you name it.”
But there’s an element of subjectivity to naturalness, he added. “There is no scientific definition of what it means for a food product to be natural – so consumers form their own subjective opinion about that.”
The level of processing is a key signal here. “People think if it’s less processed, it has fewer ingredients, it’s more natural,” he added.
Familiarity
Using ingredients that are common or well-known also helps soothe skepticism. “People prefer food that feels familiar – whether it’s the ingredients, the flavour, or the way it’s made – and that plays a role here,” Grunert said.
Familiarity is often built through repeated exposure too – for example, ingredients popular in the supplement space, such as Omega-3s, have become equally familiar to food and beverage consumers over the years. “The fact that something is enriched with Omega 3, because it’s familiar and people associate positive health effects with it, leads to a positive consumer reaction.”
Everyday appeal
Consumers perceive healthy indulgent products geared towards everyday occasions more positively, while indulgent foods are more closely associated with special occasions, such as birthdays or vacations.
“A lot of us are snacking small indulgent things throughout the day,” Grunert said. “You might eat a chocolate bar as a small reward or even to replace lunch. In those moments, people are more open to products that still deliver pleasure and a sense of reward, while also offering healthier qualities.”
For brands, the key takeaway here is to lean into healthiness more without compromising the sense of indulgence.
“If you can preserve the sense of reward while increasing the healthiness, consumers may re‑engage, unlike in situations where the celebration or the pure pleasure is the main focus,” Grunert added.
Premium and affordable
According to the research, premium positioning often signals higher quality and superior taste. This helps appeal to consumers while dispelling doubts about poor sensory experience.
“The price premium serves as a kind of certification – because it signals the manufacturer has put extra effort – whether by using better ingredients, more careful processing or something else. And that increases credibility."
But brands needs to also strike a balance between premium cues and affordability.
“Most of the products in this category are inexpensive, so if you position such a product with an extra claim – saying ‘You can still enjoy the same pleasure and it’s even healthier’ – people tend to perceive that as misleading. They think it’s being said simply because it’s hard to disprove, and they don’t believe it.
“That’s why premiumisation matters: a higher price signals a certain level of seriousness and effort on the part of the manufacturer.”
And so, there you have it: some consumers remain unconvinced by healthy-indulgent food and beverage products. But brands can improve perceptions by leaning into naturalness, familiar ingredients and premium cues among other strategies.
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