Health and wellness are one of the most powerful growth drivers in retail for food and beverage products currently, but in an era when consumers are increasingly savvy – and skeptical – simply being “better-for-you” isn’t enough anymore to win shelf space, secure sales or earn consumer loyalty.
Research published last week by the communication agency Eat Well Global reveals that 78% of Americans are prioritizing health and nutrition – up from 50% just three years ago. But at the same time, half feel that food brands exaggerate health benefits and use misleading marketing – prompting 69% to say they often or always feel the need to double-check health and nutrition claims.
Rather than risk reputational damage or lost sales by stocking products that consumers don’t trust or which don’t deliver promised health benefits, retailers are raising the bar for better-for-you foods and beverages and looking for credible brands that can deliver a compelling case for consumers to buy their products consistently.
In this episode of FoodNavigator-USA’s Soup-To-Nuts podcast, Eat Well Global CEO Erin Boyd Kappelholf reveals what retail leaders really think about better-for-you products, and why the opportunity is real, but may be more complex than many brands assume. She also breaks down how three macro-forces are reshaping retail, what claims resonate with shoppers and the “three Cs for winning with better food.”
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A market at a tipping point
After steadily climbing for more than decade, consumer interest in healthy food has exponentially increased in the past year, with market research firm Spins reporting a 10% increase in natural products sales growth in the past year and NielsenIQ Point-of Sale data showing that the healthiest products are gaining share in six out of 10 categories with sales growing 13.5% year-over-year faster than their category peers.
Kappelholf attributes this evolution in part to changing regulations and consumer expectations around the health impact of nutrition, increased availability and access to GLP-1 medications for weight management and influx of product innovation focused on functional health benefits.
The insights also revealed that consumers, and retailers, want specific benefit claims versus general wellness or general better-for-you claims, she said.
According to Eat Well Global’s research, the top health claims that retailers report are resonating with consumers or driving purchases are high protein, which was noted by 83% of survey respondents, followed by more generic ‘functional benefits’ and lower- or reduced sugar, which were both cited by 72% of retailers. High fiber or digestive health was noted by 60% of retailers and half called out simpler ingredients or clean label products and weight management or portion control and targeted, outcome-driven health and nutrition claims consumers want.
Kappelholf explained that these claims resonate in part because consumers understand them – underscoring the importance of simplicity and clarity in marketing, and the market potential of better-for-you products.
According to Eat Well Global’s research, 48% of retail leaders see health-driven shoppers as a meaningful growth opportunity, this includes 64% who report better-for-you products help drive premium price points, 58% who noted they support brand differentiation and 52% who say they boost shopper loyalty.
Economic pressure reshapes consumers’ definition of ‘value’
Converging with this health transformation are two other dynamics that Eat Well Global identified as reshaping the food retail landscape.
The first, is economic pressure. Kappelholf reports 53% of retailers said shoppers became more price sensitive in 2025, and 46% said this had the biggest impact on their category strategy in 2025.
“People need to be able to afford their grocery basket, and they are making real tradeoffs in the store,” she said. She added they want to know the premium price better-for-you products command is worth it and the products will deliver on their stated benefits.
In addition, 24% of retailers report increased cost pressures from tariffs and supply chain continues, and 40% said this was impacting their category strategy. As a result, 18% of retail leaders told Eat Well Global that private label is becoming the smart choice and 34% said the growth or strategic focus on store brands was influencing their category strategy.
Retail technology is changing the path to purchase
The last dynamic Eat Well Global identified as converging with economic pressure and health transformation to reshape the food retail landscape is a shift in retail technology.
Specifically, the research revealed, 11% of retailers report that AI and shopper data are changing the decisions, 18% noted enhanced convenience from technology was altering how people shop and 9% noted the path to purchase is increasingly omnichannel.
Credibility emerges as a core brand attribute
Despite the significant potential better-for-you brands offer retailers, Eat Well Global found health attributes do not guarantee shelf space. Rather only 56% of retailers report they are actively open to better-for-you innovation experimentation and 40% say it only drives growth when executed well.
That begs the question, what does ‘executed well’ actually mean for retailers and how should brands frame marketing efforts to meet this demand?
The recipe for winning with better food centers on what Kappelholf calls “the three Cs.”
“They need to be credible, they need to be compelling, and they need to be consistent,” she explained.
“What we mean by credible is that what a brand says feels right, that it feels grounded and substantiated and true, and that is shaped by a few different things. It’s shaped by evidence. It’s shaped by expertise and the science behind the claims,” she said.
Compelling is translating that truth into reasons to care.
Consistency includes standardized messaging across different channels overtime.
“Trust is built slowly, step by step, over time. It can be lost very quickly, but it needs to be built up over time,” she explained
“Clear” and “concise” are two more ‘C’s that Kappelholf says are essential to pulling off a credible, compelling and consistent marketing strategy.
She explained that manufacturers often want to say too much in marketing or on packaging. But rather than extol all the benefits or tell the full story, brands should narrow their storytelling to the most relevant attribute they want to build.
4 tips to market better-for-you products
Based on this insight, Eat Well Global identified four marketing strategies that can refine better-for-you product positioning to best meet consumer and retailer needs and effectively drive growth.
The first is to choose a hero attribute. This means picking a specific benefit, rather than a stack of connected claims, and focus on the link between the shopper need and retail relevance.
The second marketing strategy that Eat Well Global promotes is to build a clear proof system, which includes a clear reason retailers should stock the product.
The third tip is to make a product’s benefits “instantly understandable in market,” by reducing ambiguity and simplifying pack and shelf language so it is easier to understand quickly.
Finally, the group advises companies to build the story across the full journey – from packaging, merchandising, digital and retail selling.
This last point is especially important because 76% of retailers say they discover new brands to stock through social media, rather than more traditional avenues like trade shows. That means messaging online and across social media platforms speaks to two audiences: the end user and category buyers.
Ultimately, Kappelholf said, what this data shows is health is no longer a niche or premium add-on when it comes to food in retail. Rather retail leaders see it as a meaningful lever for growth, but that potential will only materialize if brands are credible, compelling and consistent throughout their marketing and product positioning.
