For the first time in 21 years, convenience has overtaken health as the driving force behind Americans’ consumer food choices. The 2026 Food & Health Survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC)—which included a Canadian sample to compare consumption patterns—confirms this finding.
This finding comes at a time of economic pressure, rapid changes in the flow of information, and the growing influence of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, which is redefining what “eating healthy” means for the average consumer.
An Unprecedented Shift in Two Decades
For two decades, the order remained stable: taste, price, health, convenience, and environmental sustainability. This year, changing consumer priorities disrupted that balance. Taste continues to lead with 88%, followed by price at 78%. For the first time in the survey’s history, convenience (61%) surpassed health (56%). Environmental sustainability, at 30%, remains in last place.
“Every year, the survey shows us where the public really stands,” explained IFIC President and CEO Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak. According to her, the definition of “healthy” is no longer limited to nutrition but now incorporates freshness, naturalness, and the degree of processing.
This shift is no coincidence: fast-paced lifestyles and economic priorities are pushing consumers toward more practical options, even if that means giving health less weight in their decision-making.
Related Article: The New Perspective on the Meaning of “Healthy” according to the FDA
“Fresh” Reclaims the Top Spot
When describing healthy food, consumers chose “fresh” as the top factor at 40%, dropping “low in sugar” out of the top three for the first time. Respondents then selected “good source of protein” (33%), “good source of nutrients” (31%), “low in sugar” (29%), and “natural” (28%).
Since 2022, the criteria showing the strongest growth have focused on ingredients and processing. The category “no artificial ingredients or preservatives” rose by ten points, according to Kris Sollid, senior director of Consumer Research and Insights at IFIC. For Sollid, this does not diminish the importance of nutrients, but it does show that consumers are now asking new questions: they no longer just ask how much sugar a product contains, but also what kind of ingredients it contains and how much processing it has undergone.
The New Food Pyramid: Widely Seen but Poorly Understood
Three months after its launch, 83% of Americans have already seen the new Food Pyramid—a jump from the 76% and 77% who reported familiarity with MyPlate in 2024 and 2025, respectively. However, only 54% say they know it “quite well,” a figure nearly identical to previous years. Awareness of the Dietary Guidelines that underpin the pyramid barely reaches 42%.
Sollid warns of this gap between visibility and actual understanding, since seeing a chart does not guarantee that consumers will improve their diets or adopt its principles.
“Ultra-processed,” the buzzword of the moment
The term “ultra-processed” has become part of everyday language. Fifty-two percent of Americans say they are familiar with it—eight points more than in 2025 and twenty more than in 2024. To determine whether a product falls into this category, consumers first turn to the ingredient list (56%) and the nutrition label (51%). Increasingly, they also rely on their own judgment, artificial intelligence, or the opinions of family and friends.
For the supermarket and food industry, these findings point to a more demanding consumer who is only partially informed and increasingly driven by convenience.