British Nutrition Foundation survey reveals 62% of Britons have altered their diet to get healthier in the past year

A new survey commissioned by the British Nutrition Foundation reveals that 62% of Britons have made a change to their diet to get healthier over the past year.

The survey, which was conducted online by YouGov as part of the British Nutrition Foundation’s Healthy Eating Week 2021, looks at the changes people have made to their diet and lifestyle over the last year of the pandemic.

The survey findings also reveal:

• One third of people (33%) state they have included more fruits and vegetables in their diets, 29% started cooking healthier meals and 32% have been drinking more water.
• 64% of respondents say they check nutritional information food labels when grocery shopping, 41% of people look at labels particularly when buying a new food item.
• 69% of respondents say they planned their meals in advance over the past year, most commonly when planning their shopping (45%).
• 57% say they have made changes to cook more healthily since May 2020. 21% found healthier recipes to make and 20% used healthier cooking methods like baking instead of grilling and frying whenever possible.
• Half the respondents (50%) mention starting a new activity to stay active over the last year. 29% started walking regularly and 12% started exercising regularly in general.

The British Nutrition Foundation hopes to help people build on these successes during its annual Healthy Eating Week. Currently in its 9th year, Healthy Eating Week (14-18 June) encourages everyone to enhance their health and wellbeing and urges us all to ‘Find your healthier you’. The Week has 5 daily themes, which are:

• Know the facts – information, advice and myth busting
• Make a healthier choice – tips and tools to make better choices
• Plan for success – ways to plan healthier meals and menus
• Be the chef – how to cook healthier options, with links to recipes and ideas
• Keep moving – promoting the importance of being active for health.

Free to register, Healthy Eating Week is supporting participants by sharing a range of free evidence-based resources and tools. The resources have been prepared for people of all ages and for different settings – from nurseries and schools to individuals and families, as well as a wide range of workplaces, offices, shops, factories, or homes.

Launching Healthy Eating Week, Roy Ballam, Managing Director and Head of Education, British Nutrition Foundation, said: “We’ve all had such a challenging year, so it’s really positive to see that so many people have made healthy changes to their diets and lifestyles. Healthy Eating Week is a chance for us all to reflect, see if there are changes we can make to support our health and to establish healthy habits to help us keep up the good work in the long term. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to a healthy diet and lifestyle – everyone is different, but the principles of healthy eating can be adapted to suit you. We have a whole range of free resources available as part of the week; from activity packs and videos, to trackers and cooking tips. I’d encourage everyone to visit our website to find something that works for you or your organisation, as well as sharing all of your great achievements on social media!”

To access the free British Nutrition Foundation’s Healthy Eating Week 2021 resources, please visit: www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/hew.html

^{All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2028 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th – 12th May 2021.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).}

^{British Nutrition Foundation’s Healthy Eating Week is developed by the British Nutrition Foundation and supported by the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Old El Paso, Green Giant, innocent drinks, Waitrose & Partners and Warburtons.}

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