• by Sarah Mahoney , 5 hours ago

Americans say they want healthier food. They also want it cheaper, faster and without a lecture.

That tension runs through the latest report from FMI: The Food Industry Association, exploring how retailers are trying to answer health and wellness demands from conflicted shoppers. The report, based on a national consumer survey and retailer interviews, finds stores are expanding better-for-you assortments, improving labeling clarity and investing in fresh and functional categories. Retailers, in short, are working hard to look responsive.

But shoppers remain complicated.

A strong majority say health influences their purchasing decisions. Many are scrutinizing ingredient lists, seeking out protein, fiber or gut-health benefits and trying to limit sugar or ultra-processed foods. Another recent FMI report finds that 77% of shoppers say they put at least some effort into thinking about health while food shopping, and 29% of people say they put in a lot of effort. Roughly half say they’ve increased these efforts in the last year.

At the same time, price remains a primary driver of choice, and indulgence categories continue to perform. Consumers want to eat better — just not at the expense of convenience, taste or budget.

That inconsistency is forcing retailers to operate in two lanes at once. FMI reports that grocers are increasing shelf space for health-forward products and strengthening private-label offerings positioned around clean ingredients or functional benefits. Yet they’re also balancing value messaging and promotions to avoid alienating cost-sensitive shoppers.

The result is a grocery aisle that reflects modern wellness culture: aspirational but pragmatic, informed but fatigued.

That complexity is wearing consumers out. People increasingly describe feeling overwhelmed by nutrition claims and conflicting advice. Protein is in. Carbs are complicated. “Natural” doesn’t mean much. And they still can’t figure out why their grocery budgets have ballooned to the size of car payments.  

The retailers in FMI’s data set, which includes about 30 companies representing more than 9,000 supermarkets, seem to understand that weariness. When they can, they are aiming to make the healthiest choices easier. Many say they are simplifying in-store signage, using digital tools and loyalty data to personalize recommendations, and reframing health as accessible rather than elite. And 64% are reformulating private-label offerings, whether that means reducing dyes or sodium, or adding fiber or protein.

Stores are also increasingly relying on in-house expertise to make merchandising choices, with 96% now employing dietitians at the corporate level. These pros are interacting more frequently with the C-suite, as well as taking an active role with culinary teams.

For CPG brands, the takeaway isn’t simply that wellness matters. It’s that wellness is fragmented. Consumers may prioritize heart health one week and indulgence the next. They may trade up for functional beverages but trade down in center-store staples.

In other words, health is no longer a niche trend. It’s a baseline expectation — layered on top of affordability, flavor and convenience.

Shoppers say they want healthier food. They just don’t want that goal to feel harder to achieve.  Retailers are closer, but still haven’t quite solved the problem.