These four diet trends will dominate in 2025 | Canada Voices

Our ever-increasing interest in personal health and wellness is predicted to be a significant driver of nutrition trends in 2025, influencing innovation in food products and supplements. At the same time, concerns about climate change and environmental sustainability will continue to sway our food choices and eating habits.

Here’s a peek at four food and nutrition trends forecasted this year.

Increasing focus on wellness, longevity

The popularity of Peter Attia’s book, Outlive, and the Netflix documentary series, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, fuelled our continued and growing interest in using diet (and other lifestyle factors) to help us live longer in good health.

McKinsey & Company’s 2024 Future of Wellness study – which surveyed more than 5,000 consumers across the United States, Britain and China – found that 82 per cent of U.S. respondents consider wellness an important or top priority in their daily lives, with 58 per cent prioritizing it even more so than a year ago.

It’s not only boomers who are interested in longevity: Gen Z and millennial consumers are, too, and report high interest in foods with cognitive- and immune-supportive benefits.

At the same time, there’s growing interest in personalized nutrition. Consumers are looking for diets and nutrition products tailored to their unique characteristics, such as genetics, lifestyle and health.

Expect to see a rise in longevity-focused diets and food products this year, as well as products tailored to life stage, gender, physical and mental health, and lifestyle. Women’s health, mood support and performance are expected to be growth areas.

Protein power remains top of mind

Consumers’ focus on protein intake to support muscle mass and function, bone health and immunity, as well as promote satiety, shows no sign of slowing down.

Protein-fortified food products – from oats, pancake mixes and breads to milk, yogurt and snack foods – are everywhere.

Whole Foods Market predicts that consumers will be increasingly looking to whole foods, rather than powders and bars, to ramp up protein intake at meals and snacks. Think cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, smoked salmon snacks and beef jerky.

The recent rise in popularity of organ meats is expected to continue this year. Expect to see more brands of ground meats that combine traditional ground beef with nutrient-dense organ meats such as heart, liver and/or kidneys.

When it comes to plant protein, expect to see a greater selection of plant-based “meats” made with recognizable whole-food ingredients, simpler formulations and less processing.

Foods tailored to the Ozempic era

In recent years, Ozempic and other medications called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have been increasingly used to manage type 2 diabetes and obesity.

According to a 2024 national survey from Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, conducted in partnership with marketing research firm Caddle, roughly 10 per cent of Canadian adults are using a GLP-1 drug.

These medications mimic the human hormone GLP-1 which is produced in the intestine. As such, they slow down how quickly food empties from the stomach and signal fullness to the brain, reducing appetite and cravings.

GLP-1 drugs are anticipated to impact the food industry, as a growing number of GLP-1 users consume fewer calories and put less food in their grocery carts.

The Dalhousie study found that, since starting a GLP-1 drug, 30.6 per cent of respondents ate less sweet bakery goods, 30.4 per cent consumed fewer sweet treats such as candy, 29.7 per cent ate fewer packaged cookies and 25.5 per cent consumed fewer salty snacks such as chips.

According to Sylvain Charlebois, director of Dalhousie’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, “this trend has profound implications for the food industry, necessitating innovation and a move toward healthier and low-calorie alternatives.”

Last fall, Nestlé USA launched its Vital Pursuit frozen product line aimed at consumers taking GLP-1 medications and others focusing on weight management.

Products such as bowls with whole grains or protein pasta, sandwich melts and pizzas with cauliflower crust are portion-controlled, high in protein and contain nutrients such as vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium or iron.

In 2025, expect to see more food products enter the marketplace to help individuals taking GLP-1 medications meet key nutrient needs on their weight-loss journey.

Sustainability matters

With consumers very aware of climate change, sustainability will continue to be an important topic.

According to Sodexo Canada’s Food Sustainability Barometer conducted last September, many Canadians are already taking action toward a more sustainable diet.

The online survey, which included 1,500 Canadians, revealed that two-thirds (69 per cent) of respondents are reducing food waste at home and 50 per cent intentionally cook leftovers instead of throwing them out. Half of the respondents associate eating a sustainable diet with improved health.

Research also shows that consumers are open to climate-related actions taken by food companies, including eco-friendly packaging, reduced food waste and environmentally responsible practices.

As food companies come out with carbon-neutral products, expect to see more carbon footprint statements on packaging to help consumers make informed decisions in the grocery store.

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based private practice dietitian, is director of food and nutrition at Medcan. Follow her on Twitter @LeslieBeckRD