Close to 9 in 10 (86% of) US adults believe that healthy eating is at least somewhat important to them. However, only about 1 in 8 (13%) manage to always stick to a healthy diet, according to a report [download page] from Morning Consult.
A fair share of the 2,000 US adults surveyed in late December 2021 indicated that they had plans to take certain steps to follow a healthier diet in the month following the survey. About 6 in 10 (57%) planned to cut back on unhealthy foods and drinks, while 59% planned to choose healthier foods and drinks.
More than one-third of US adults also say they follow a specific diet, with the largest share (19%) following a meat reduction diet. Fewer are following more restrictive diets such as vegetarian (5%), gluten-free (5%), lactose-free (4%), vegan (2%) and pescatarian (2%).
Separately, and perhaps in order to meet their healthier eating goals, some 46% of respondents planned to order takeout or delivery less often. More than half (53%) report that they ordered takeout or delivery at least a few times a month in December 2021. That share is even higher with Millennials (69%), and lowest among Baby Boomers (37%).
Reducing take-out or food delivery means more cooking at home. Indeed, one of the main reasons that respondents cook at home is because it’s healthier than going to a restaurant or ordering takeout. Nevertheless, US adults tend to cook from scratch less frequently than adults in many other countries.
The top reason cited for cooking at home is because it’s more affordable than takeout or going to a restaurant (60%). Unfortunately, 3 in 10 respondents have seen their grocery bill go up. In fact, many are concerned about the cost of meat (79%), produce (74%) and dairy (72%). This has led to finding ways to save money such as price comparison (84%), buying generic (78%) and using coupons (61%).
The full report can be found here.
About the Data: Findings are based on a December 2021 survey of 2,200 US adults (18+).
