Convenience the way to consumers' stomachs

Australian consumers want natural, locally produced food - but they also want convenience, the new Ipsos Food Health Report shows. Even for health-conscious consumers, convenience is a driving factor in food choice, the report reveals.

The average consumer eats non-home cooked meals 2.5 times each week, the report showed. This figure includes dining out, takeaway and supermarket ready-to-eat prepared meals.

“These non-home cooked options are now a permanent and important part of how we eat but there is little intention to cut down on these options to improve health and wellbeing,” said Dr Rebecca Huntley, Executive Director of the Ipsos Food Health Report.

“Despite good intentions to eat more fruit and vegetables over the year ahead - which was the top food priority for 11% of respondents - only 2% said that eating out less was their top priority in terms of food for the next 12 months.”

Food provenance was a key issue, with 85% of respondents saying the origin of their food is somewhat or very important to them. More than six in 10 (62%) agreed that food production should use our country’s resources in a more sustainable way, and 59% agreed that supporting Australian farmers is more important than getting cheap milk and bread.

Only 20% of respondents thought that vitamin pills and supplements are vital ingredients for proper nutrition; 63% believe that natural sources - rather than fortified foods and supplements - are the best pathway to health.

The first annual Ipsos Food Health Report aims to build a picture of what Australian consumers eat in relation to how they view health and wellbeing. It also aims to build a picture of consumers’ attitudes to food and health in each socio-economic segment and to examine the food choices people actively make and those they avoid.

Research for the report was conducted online using a nationally representative sample of people aged 18+ with quotas of age, gender and location.