How to eat according to healthy lifestyle

The Romir Research Holding, together with Rospotrebnadzor, within the framework of the Healthy Nutrition project, present the results of a large-scale study of the attitude of the Russian population to a healthy lifestyle in 2023.

The study has been conducted for three years in a row. According to a representative sample, men and women from 18 to 65 years old, residents of Russian cities with a population of 10,000 or more, take part in it. The uniqueness of the methodology consists in the use of not only survey methods, but also analytics of purchasing power and consumer behavior of the population based on a Single Romir data panel*. In this way, it is possible to collect comprehensive data that allows us to obtain a representative assessment of consumer behavior of people throughout Russia.

In a previous release, we wrote about how many of the most "advanced" adherents of a healthy lifestyle there are in Russia. In total, about a quarter of the adult population (24%) turned out to be such. The vast majority of them (over 80%) pay special attention to proper and healthy nutrition, noting its impact on the overall level of well-being.

If we talk about healthy food products, the results of the study show that during three annual measurements (from 2021 to 2023), vegetables (89%), fruits (79%) and fish gastronomy (65%) occupy the leading positions, despite the fact that in comparison with the previous period, their share it has decreased somewhat.  At the same time, the availability of healthy food products in most categories is high and does not decrease in comparison with the previous period. The lowest availability rates were given to categories such as fish, snacks/healthy snacks – about 70% (see Chart 1).

The vast majority of respondents (over 90%) prefer domestic brands when buying healthy food products. Snacks (39%) and fruits (30%) remain the most popular import categories, similar to the previous measurement. In almost all categories, except for the above, there is a strong commitment to Russian brands – more than half of the respondents have consistently bought them over the past six months.

The TOP 3 factors that adherents of a healthy lifestyle pay attention to when choosing a product include price, quality and manufacturer. At the same time, price is the most important factor for healthy lifestyle aspirants, quality is for healthy lifestyle followers, and manufacturer is for healthy lifestyle adherents. Unlike other groups, the composition is important for healthy lifestyle followers - it was noted by 70%, for healthy lifestyle adherents – the availability of certificates and quality marks.

* The Romir Consumer Scan Panel is based on consumption data from 40,000 Russians, 15,000 households in 220 cities with a population of 10,000 people or more, representing the purchasing and consumer behavior of residents of Russian cities. Panel participants scan QR codes of receipts and record electronic receipts for all purchased goods and services. The results of the online scan are sent to the panel database.