Healthier Eating - "Back to the Roots"
Can we learn from previous generations to eat more healthily?
- Fruit and vegetable consumption more important for the senior group
- The group with the lowest share of fruit and vegetables in their basket corresponds to a younger profile
- 74% of the Portuguese are looking for a healthier diet
Lisbon, May 2019 - The Portuguese are increasingly concerned about healthy eating. According to the ShopperTrends study by Nielsen74% of Portuguese people are trying to eat healthier. To achieve this goal, one of the main measures they take (in 2nd place in this ranking) is to eat healthier. ranking) is to eat more fruit, vegetables and pulses.
Fruit and vegetable consumption in Portugal has clearly increased over the years. The trend points to a decrease in households that consume less fruit and vegetables, while there has been an increase in those in which fruit and vegetables have a greater weight, thus witnessing a transfer of consumption from the former to the latter.
Significant growth was seen in fruit such as bananas and vegetables such as onions and carrots. Fourth and fifth range products (vegetables and salads packaged, washed and ready to eat) are also showing excellent growth, as are dried fruits.
According to Andreia Carvalho, Analytics Consultant CPS at Nielsen, "the percentage of Portuguese seeking a healthier diet is increasing year on year, as is the introduction of fruit and vegetables into their consumption habits. For this reason, we have every reason to believe that this will continue to be a strong trend in the domestic market".
Fruit and vegetable consumption more important for seniors
Taking these assumptions into account, Nielsen, based on its Household Panel, segmented households into 4 groups according to their spending on fruit and vegetables.
It was then observed that there is a group of households in which Fruit and Vegetables have a greater weight in the shopping basket. This group is made up of a more senior profile, with a smaller household and no children in the home. This segment, which is smaller (19%) and older, is the one that spends the most on Fruit and Vegetables (36%), showing a concern for health and having a basket made up mostly of fresh produce.
The group with the lowest share of fruit and vegetables in their basket corresponds to a young profile with children
The segment with the lowest percentage of fruit and vegetables in their basket corresponds to a younger profile, with a larger household and children in the home. Although they also buy fresh produce, their shopping basket significantly includes convenience products (more practical, which make their day-to-day life easier) and indulgence products (which offer them moments of satisfaction). This is a profile of families with more active lives, who allow themselves moments of indulgence and who are looking for products that will save them some time for the activities they enjoy most (note that, according to the Nielsen Confidence Index, the main concern of the Portuguese, apart from health, is the balance between personal and professional life). Hypermarkets are more relevant to this shopper, compared to the previous older segment.
The source of this analysis is Nielsen's Household Panel, made up of a sample of 3,000 households in mainland Portugal, who record the FMCG products they purchase in any shopping channel, in a regular and continuous collection of purchases via the internet. scanner. This sample is demographically and geographically representative, portraying the 3.9 million households in mainland Portugal and thus allowing us to obtain insights on the purchasing behavior and profile of Portuguese families.