Healy Group: Top Food and Beverage Trends for 2026

 At Healy Group, it is incredibly important for us to keep a close eye on everything happening across the food and drink market.

Our role goes far beyond supplying ingredients. We work closely with our customers to interpret what is really happening in the market, understand how and why consumer behaviour is changing, and make sure we have the right solutions in our portfolio to help manufacturers respond with confidence (rather than scrambling to catch up).

Over the past year in particular, one thing has become very clear. Consumers are no longer buying into vague ideas of health, sustainability or functionality. They are buying into outcomes, and they expect those outcomes to be noticeable and actually deliver against the promises they’re making.

Shoppers are under sustained pressure, from rising food costs to health concerns, mental fatigue and constant information overload. As a result, food and drink is being judged more critically than ever before. Products are expected to earn their place in a consumer’s basket or on their plate (and if they don’t, they are very easy to swap out).

As we move into 2026, we have identified five key trends that we believe will shape how manufacturers innovate, reformulate and position their product lines over the year ahead. Within each of these sit multiple subtrends, reflecting just how layered and nuanced the market has become.

So, without further ado, here is an overview of our top five trends for the year, in no particular order (we genuinely believe each is just as influential as the next).

Weight For Me

Weight management has returned to the forefront of consumer behaviour, but the motivation behind it has shifted quite noticeably.

The rise of GLP-1 medications has made weight loss highly visible and widely discussed. In the UK alone, 24 percent of adults say they would take GLP-1s if offered free on the NHS¹, and 4.1 percent of households already have an active user² (a figure that has risen sharply year on year). That level of visibility changes the conversation for everyone, not just those taking medication.

Even consumers who aren’t on the jabs are reassessing portion sizes, calorie density and food choices (often driven by FOMO and constant media exposure). What we’re seeing now is less about dieting and more about control and intention. People want to feel confident that what they are eating is worth it.

This has given rise to several subtrends. Protein and fibre are being prioritised as tools for satiety. Fat, sugar and calorie reduction is gaining momentum again. Portion control is increasingly being reframed through nutrient density rather than deprivation.

With almost half of global consumers saying they want to lose weight³, weight management in 2026 is becoming a key influencing factor in consumer eating decisions and buying patterns.

Clean, Clear and Credible

Trust has become one of the strongest drivers of food choice (and one of the easiest things to lose).

Over the past year, consumer scepticism around ingredients and claims has intensified. Two thirds of shoppers say they are concerned about hidden ingredients disguised through complex labelling⁴, and many admit to actively avoiding brands they no longer trust. That is a big shift, and one manufacturers can’t ignore.

Ultra-processed food has become a focal point for wider health concerns. Importantly, this is not about consumers rejecting science or convenience altogether. It is about rejecting opacity. People want to understand why ingredients are there and whether they are genuinely necessary.

As a result, several subtrends are emerging. Ingredient lists are being simplified. Claims are being toned down. Transparency is increasingly equated with honesty.

Brands that are performing well in this space aren’t necessarily shouting louder. They are communicating more clearly (and with more confidence). Clean label has evolved from being about removal to being about reassurance, which is reflected in the growing number of clean label product launches globally.

Nourish The Now

Health is increasingly being judged in real time (and consumers are not particularly patient with their expectations for results).

People are placing far greater emphasis on how food makes them feel today, not in six months’ time. Digestive comfort, steady energy, mental clarity and mood balance have become everyday priorities, driven by stress, fatigue and increasingly busy lifestyles.

This has led to the rise of several closely linked subtrends. Gut health is being reframed as foundational to a whole host of other health indicators and wellness concerns. Energy is being redefined as something that should be steady and sustained rather than fast and stimulating (with a price to pay later). Cognitive support isn’t just a concern for the older populations, but is instead about coping with mental load and digital overload for all age groups.

Consumers are also becoming more discerning. They want benefits they can feel, but they want them to be believable (and backed by real science). Over-promising in this space is quickly losing credibility.

As a result, manufacturers are tightening claims, focusing on scientifically substantiated ingredients, and embedding functional benefits into everyday formats rather than positioning them as specialist products.

Health That Holds Up

Consumers are thinking more seriously about long-term health than they were even just a year ago.

Rather than waiting for problems to appear, people are taking steps now to protect future wellbeing (often prompted by age, lifestyle or a growing awareness of health risks). This has driven an increased interest in ingredients and products that support resilience over time.

Several subtrends sit within this. Healthy ageing is shifting away from cosmetic language towards vitality and independence. Joint and bone health is becoming more mainstream as mobility is recognised as central to quality of life. Heart health is increasingly viewed as something that must be managed through everyday choices, not just medical intervention when problems arise.

Manufacturers are responding by embedding these benefits into familiar food formats, supported by credible science and regulatory-approved claims (because, again, trust really matters in this space).

Rethinking Resources

Sustainability still matters, but the way consumers engage with it has changed.

There is growing fatigue around vague green messaging, and far more interest in solutions that feel tangible and practical. People want to see how sustainability is actually being delivered, not just talked about.

This has driven the rise of subtrends such as upcycled ingredients, waste reduction and hybrid protein solutions. Upcycling resonates because the benefit is easy to understand. Hybrid and flexitarian approaches work because they feel realistic and flexible rather than extreme and requiring a huge lifestyle shift.

It is important for manufacturers to focus on sustainability strategies that deliver functional value, maintain product performance and avoid compromising on taste or quality (because consumers are no longer willing to trade one for the other).

Looking Ahead to 2026

Across all five trends, one theme comes through very clearly. Intention based on new knowledge.

Consumers are buying fewer products, asking harder questions and expecting more from what they choose. The brands that will succeed in 2026 are those that simplify, substantiate and design food around real life needs.

This article is just the starting point. Over the coming months, I will be releasing monthly blog posts where I will be deep diving into each of these trends individually, unpacking the subtrends sitting beneath them, and exploring what they mean in practice for food and drink manufacturers.

And if reading this has sparked questions about how your products or portfolio might start responding to any of these trends (or where the opportunities really sit), we would love to chat. We regularly work with customers to deliver bespoke insight and solutions sessions, tailored to specific categories, challenges and innovation goals.

Sometimes all it takes is the right conversation to turn a trend into a clear next step. Reach out today to get the conversation started!

¹FoodNavigator, GLP-1: diet food killer or new opportunity? – January 2025

²Kantar, GLP-1 Agonists: The Next Big Disruptor in Society – August 2025

³FMCG Gurus, Protein Bar: Shifting Priorities in the Market – August 2025

⁴FMCG Gurus, Top Trends Report 2026 – December 2025