As Americans become more and more health-conscious, their online grocery orders indicate a shift towards more nutritious food choices.
It recently unveiled new dietary trends based on customer purchases and search data, according to Instacart.
Using data from 2023 to 2024, the online grocery distribution platform calculated a 39% increase in searches for “high protein” and a 159% increase in searches for “high fiber.”
Instacart also said that since 2021, low-sugar food and beverage purchases have seen a 9% increase and an 8% increase in low-carb purchases.
There are other important findings as well.
Kelly Springer, a registered dietitian in Skaneatelles, New York, said she is encouraged by the trends.
“When you're doing Instacart, you're more likely to buy those healthy groceries than buying instant food in the food aisle,” she told Fox News Digital.
Regarding the methodology, Instacart calculated the difference in the share of orders that each category appeared between 2023 and 2024.
For example, the non-alcoholic cocktail category saw a 350% increase in orders in 2024 compared to 2023.
“These trends reflect how consumers embrace a more holistic, personalized approach to health,” Instacart trend analyst Alex Orellana told Fox News Digital.
“High protein products are popular not only for building muscle, but also for increasing metabolism and energy, but fiber-rich foods are gaining momentum by increasing awareness of intestinal connections.”
Olerana said low-carb diets are also popular as they support stable energy levels and align with broader weight management and wellness goals.
Instacart has unearthed additional forecasts about the future of healthy eating this year.
Among them Flavorous food predictions In 2025, the company revealed significant growth in prebiotic and probiotic beverages, showing 58% year-on-year growth in these two categories between 2023 and 2024.
“I think people are starting to hear about the correlation between digestive health and health in general,” Springer said.
There is also growing interest in canned fish, a once popular meal staple that has fallen out of favor in recent decades.
These two canned fish showed growth of 74% and 13%, respectively, according to year-over-year growth in the share of orders, including canned mackerel and canned sardines, from 2023 to 2024.
Springer said it was “great,” as “it's really moving forward,” essential fatty acids that omega-3 help reduce inflammation.
People also seem to be unable to get enough fortified water.
Purchases of electrolyte beverage powders from 2023 to 2024 showed a 7% increase in the proportion of coconut water purchases over the same time frame, with a 36% increase.
All this data suggests that the focus of health and wellness continues to influence Americans in making grocery shopping decisions.
“As a nutritionist, I couldn't be proud of Americans,” Springer said.
Peter Burke Digital Digital of Fox News reported.
