Healthy Eating Outside the Home in Europe: What Today’s Consumers Expect from Food and Beverage Brands

Beverage Trends, Breakfast Trends, Consumer Insights, Dessert Trends, Europe, Food Trends, Foodservice, Ingredient Trends, Menu Trends, Restaurants

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Healthy eating is now a mainstream concern across Europe, but the way consumers define it is more nuanced than many brands assume. Datassential’s “Healthy in Europe” 2025 survey, based on 2,500 consumers across France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and Germany, was designed to understand attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours around healthy eating in and out of home.

For food and beverage manufacturers, distributors, and foodservice professionals, the message is increasingly apparent: health matters, but consumers want it delivered through products and experiences that feel realistic, enjoyable, and easy to choose.

Strong Interest in Health
Does Not Mean Strict Discipline

One of the most important insights from the study is that healthy eating has become a near-universal concern. Only 0% to 5% of Europeans say they are not at all interested in eating healthy.

At the same time, healthy eating is not usually approached with strict discipline. More than half of Europeans say they eat healthily overall, even if not always consistently, and only 17% to 21% say they are very consistent in achieving their healthy eating goals. That balance between intention and flexibility matters: consumers are engaged, but they are not looking for rigid solutions.

Food & Drink Play a
Growing Role in Well-Being

The survey also found that food is important to well-being, even if it is not the top priority. Depending on the market, food and drink rank as a 4th, 5th, or 6th top contributor to overall well-being (behind physical/emotional health and sleep). Italy leads here, with 94% saying what they eat and drink is extremely or fairly important to their general well-being, compared with 90% in France, 88% in both the UK and Spain, and 83% in Germany.

In addition, at least 30% of consumers say what they eat or drink matters more to them today than it did a year ago, rising to 48% in the UK and 52% in Spain. In other words, consumer behaviours are still evolving.

”Healthy” Is Closely Linked
to Naturalness and Simplicity

When consumers define “healthy,” naturalness comes through strongly. Across all five countries, quality and freshness are selected by at least 60% of respondents as the best way to define “eating well”. Foods described as all-natural, with no preservatives, artificial flavours, or colours, are chosen by 45% to 65% of consumers depending on the market, while simple, unprocessed ingredients resonate with 44% to 57%.

By contrast, organic is selected by only 20% to 28% of Europeans as a criterion of healthy food, making it half as persuasive as additive-free positioning. For brands, that points to opportunities: simpler formulations, recognisable ingredients, and transparent communication can have broader appeal than niche health messages alone.

Consumers Want Both
Reassurance & Functional Benefits

Another key finding is that consumers think about healthy food in two ways: what it does not contain, and what it does provide.

On the negative side, no additives is one of the most important criteria overall, especially in France. Low sugar ranks in the top three in the UK and Spain, while low saturated or trans fats is especially important in Spain and the UK.

On the positive side, foods rich in vitamins and minerals are the number-one criterion in the UK and Germany, and fiber is also a meaningful marker in several markets. This gives food and beverage companies a useful framework for innovation and messaging: the strongest propositions combine reassurance with functional benefit.

France

France stands out for its more hedonistic view of eating well: 62% of French consumers say pleasure and taste define eating well, making France the only market where pleasure comes before health on this measure.

Spain

Spain emerges as the most vigilant market, with 60% saying they watch what they eat very carefully, and 70% saying they understand most healthy eating terms and benefits.

Italy

Italy is Europe’s most committed healthy eating market, with 83% saying healthy eating is important to them and 65% saying they eat healthily and frequently reach their nutritional targets.

Germany

Germany, meanwhile, shows a more functional approach, with vitamins and minerals serving as its top healthy food criterion and lower engagement with nutritional information in restaurants.

The Biggest Foodservice
Opportunity Is Outside the Home

For foodservice, the biggest opportunity lies in the gap between healthy eating at home and healthy eating outside the home. The influence of health is weaker when consumers eat out than when they shop for food at retail. Satisfaction with healthy away-from-home offerings is also mixed: around 50% of consumers give currently available offerings a neutral score of 3 out of 5, while only 4% to 10% rate it as perfect.

Price is the leading barrier to ordering healthy food away from home, cited by 24% to 33% depending on the country. In the UK, 30% say there are few or no healthy options in restaurants, and 37% say they may choose less healthy items because the healthy offer is inadequate.

Healthy Options Must
Be Desirable, Not Just Available

For operators, manufacturers, and distributors, the opportunity is not just to make food healthier, but to make it more desirable. Main dishes with quality proteins are the top priority for healthy menu options, selected by 53% to 65% of consumers, while gourmet mixed salads are the second priority at 35% to 48%.

What consumers want most is food that tastes good, feels worth the price, and is made with fresh, less processed ingredients. The future of healthy eating outside the home will belong to brands that bring together taste, transparency, and everyday practicality in ways that fit real consumer behaviours.

Interested in the full Healthy in Europe report or in accessing Report Pro, Datassential’s insights library? Click here to request a demo or get more information.

And register for our upcoming webinar “The Healthy Consumer,” part of our Europe in a Bite webinar series.

Frequently Asked Questions About Healthy Eating in Europe

What does “healthy eating” mean to European consumers today?

For most European consumers, healthy eating is not about strict dieting or perfection. It is more often associated with freshness, quality, natural ingredients, and simple, less processed foods. The research shows that consumers are looking for choices that feel realistic and enjoyable, not overly restrictive.
Why is healthy eating outside the home such a big opportunity for foodservice brands?

Healthy eating is clearly important to consumers, but many feel that away-from-home options still do not fully meet their expectations. Satisfaction with healthy restaurant offerings is often moderate, and barriers such as price, limited choice, and lack of appealing options create space for brands and operators to improve their offerings.
What matters more to consumers: removing unhealthy ingredients or adding beneficial ones?

Both matter. European consumers tend to evaluate healthy food in two ways: what it does not contain—such as additives, excess sugar, or unhealthy fats—and what it does provide, including vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The strongest products and menu concepts often combine cleaner formulations with clear functional benefits.
Are European attitudes toward healthy eating the same across all countries?

No. While healthy eating is a widespread concern across Europe, each market has its own mindset. For example, France places more emphasis on pleasure and taste, Spain shows high vigilance and confidence in health knowledge, Italy stands out for strong commitment to healthy eating, and Germany takes a more functional approach. These differences mean that a one-size-fits-all strategy is unlikely to be effective across Europe.
What do consumers want from healthy menu options when dining out?

Consumers want healthy dishes that are appealing, satisfying, and worth the price. The report suggests that main dishes with quality proteins and gourmet mixed salads are among the most attractive healthy menu options. Taste, freshness, and transparency are just as important as nutritional value.
How can food and beverage brands better respond to healthy eating expectations in Europe?

Brands can respond by focusing on simplicity, familiar ingredients, good value, and foods people really want. Consumers are more likely to engage with healthy products and menus when they feel easy to choose, enjoyable to eat, and aligned with everyday routines. Clear communication and practical health benefits can help brands stand out.
How can I learn more about healthy consumer habits in Europe?

To learn more about healthy consumer habits in Europe, Datassential’s Healthy in Europe 2025 report is a great place to start. Based on a survey of 2,500 consumers across France, the UK, Spain, Italy, and Germany, it explores how Europeans define healthy eating, how those attitudes vary by market, and how behaviours differ at home versus away from home. You can also request a demo to access the full report or Report Pro, Datassential’s insights library, and register for our upcoming webinar, The Healthy Consumer, part of our Europe in a Bite webinar series.