Healthy indulgence: Balancing enjoyment with well-being, plant-based NPD and reduced sugar and fat

13 Dec 2023 --- Indulgent treats have long been consumer favorites due to their taste-bud-pleasing attributes. Such delicacies were also essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing consumers with mini luxuries amid the ongoing uncertainties of the time.

Today, the trend for “healthy indulgence” gains hold in the F&B industry as consumers want to balance enjoyment with physical well-being.

Innova Market Insights data indicates that health remains a crucial driver of future NPD. Health-claimed launches within indulgent subcategories witnessed a 1% growth from October 2018 to September 2023. 

Geographically, Europe led the race of healthy indulgence product launches, rolling out 45% of such innovations from October 2022 to September 2023, indicates the market researcher.

Food Ingredients First speaks with some of the key stakeholders in F&B to explore the various facets of the evolving wellness landscape and how they develop on-trend, indulgently delicious products.

“At its core, the healthy indulgence trend is a natural evolution of increasing health awareness among consumers paired with an upturn in comfort eating and small luxury purchases during times of economic instability,” Wouter Stomph – category lead, bakery & snacks at ofi, tells us.

Wouter Stomph – category lead, bakery & snacks at ofi (Image credit: ofi).“The growth of the healthy indulgence category is also fueled by the rise of various restrictive diets such as vegan, vegetarian, keto, gluten-free and lactose-free – which has created a demand for indulgent treats that cater to these specific needs.”

Stomph further stresses the need for brands to “create different versions of traditional indulgent snacks,” such as dairy-free ice creams, at a time when the number of vegans in 18 EU countries is set to reach about 8.25 million by 2033. 

In the same vein, Sara De Pelsmaeker, health & well-being director at Puratos, notes that the company’s findings from its consumer research program, Taste Tomorrow, evidence the growing consumer appetite for “simple and convenient” ways to boost general well-being.

“For example, natural, clean, lower fat and reduced sugar options and wholesome ingredients, such as fruit, nuts, grains, seeds and sourdough, are highly sought after, catering to the evolving demands of health-conscious consumers.”

Treats reign supreme
As highlighted in “Revenge Spending” — Innova Market Insights’ eighth Top Trend for F&B in 2023 — little treats have heightened appeal when luxury spending comes under pressure.

Sweets and cookies make up to 21% of new indulgent product launches, followed by chocolate blocks and cakes (9% each) and dairy-based ice cream and frozen yogurt (6%).

However, sweetness is not all that consumers crave. Puratos’ research findings spotlight a significant shift in purchasing preferences.

“The findings revealed 71% of consumers now actively seek food that boosts immune health, 73% are interested in products that provide sustained energy and 65% look for food that contributes to mental health,” informs Pelsmaeker.

From a scientific and perceptual standpoint, she cites health-boosting food as a “necessity” and not a “nice-to-have” across all categories, including indulgent ones. “However, it’s essential to emphasize that, even in the case of healthy indulgence, taste remains the primary driver of purchase and repurchase.”

Brands are pushing the envelope by formulating "deliciously creamy" functional offerings with wholesome ingredients (Image credit: ADM).Bastian Hörmann, global marketing director of sweet food, dairy and specialized nutrition at ADM, stresses that shoppers are looking for even the most indulgent foods and beverages to deliver support for key areas of wellness, including immune function, digestive health, heart health, mental well-being and cognitive health.

“This evolving wellness landscape is driving brands to create novel, functional offerings that taste great, above all else,” he continues. He further adds that the trend has propelled the formulation of “deliciously creamy” high-fiber, low-sugar frozen desserts and sweet-and-salty snack mixes with microbiome-supporting solutions and wholesome ingredients.

Catering to taste demands, ADM’s product portfolio offers a vast range of high-quality botanical extracts that support various formulation targets. Its acerola, which is tart yet sweet tasting, contains vitamin C supporting immune function.

Fruity innovations
Dejan Trifunović, business intelligence manager at SVZ, highlights that fruit and vegetable inclusions have been an important driver of growth, with 66% of global consumers now seeking healthy and indulgent food and beverage options.

“Most consumers consider a snack healthy if it contains a serving of actual fruit or vegetables, leading to a surge in innovations in the space to help meet shoppers’ growing needs,” he adds.

Fruit and vegetable ingredients are a valuable means to reduce the refined sugar content of products without compromising on taste, he notes. 

“Take carrots, for example. With its naturally sweet, earthy taste, this vegetable is the perfect solution when reformulating for reduced sugar in snacks while lending a sophisticated flavor to many applications.”

He also notes that fruit purees, juices and concentrates can confer appealing, guilt-free and natural sweetness and bring down artificial sweetener use.

Fruit purees, juices and concentrates can confer appealing, guilt-free sweetness to snacks.However, formulators should not “overwhelm” consumers with a multitude of flavors, he warns.

“This is where our latest innovation, Carte Blanche, comes in. SVZ’s functional range of white vegetable bases, including ingredients such as white carrot and pumpkin puree, is naturally neutral, nutritious and lower in sugar – helping product developers not only reformulate with less added sugar but also providing the ideal base layer.”

With a neutral profile, Carte Blanche’s “less is more” concept allows a recipe’s star ingredients to shine through while keeping its ingredient lists short and clean. “Plus, as the Carte Blanche solution is customizable, it’s one less formulation challenge for manufacturers to worry about,” Trifunović adds.

Fruits and nuts, grains and seeds, botanicals and natural sugar replacers are all recognized as healthy and tasty, paving the way for seamless innovative formulations that prioritize health without compromising flavor.

The “halo effect” 
Oligofructose — a sugar substitute used in dairy and bakery products as per studies — is the fastest-growing ingredient for healthy indulgence NPD (55%), followed by cocoa solid (26%), carrot concentrate (25%), lime (19%) and passion fruit (17%) from October 2018 to September 2023, indicates Innova Market Insights’ data.

Due to their “health halo effect,” Stomph says nuts are another ingredient category that fits in with consumers’ lifestyle choices.

“Thanks to their versatility across flours, pastes and butters, they can bring an elevated nutritional and flavor profile to pastries, desserts and salty snacks — from tortilla chips to savory crackers.”

Ofi is observing nuts “thriving” in plant-based applications as well, since they are free from off-notes, unlike other familiar protein sources like peas and soy.

Meanwhile, the popular health-forward ingredients for ADM include fibers, microbiome-supporting solutions (prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics), proteins and botanicals.

Puratos’s Puraslim allows bakers to cut fat content by up to 50% while preserving the taste and texture that consumers crave (Image credit: Puratos).Fibersol — ADM/Matsutani’s innovative prebiotic dietary fiber ingredient — can help develop reduced-sugar products without impacting the texture. Moreover, heat-treated postbiotic versions of Bifidobacterium longum CECT7347 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CECT8145 and spore-forming probiotics (Bacillus subtilis) unlock new ways to incorporate biotics into consumer diets through “fun and functional” formats, details Hörmann.

ADM has recently expanded its portfolio to include low sodium protein powders and soy-based AccelFlex Texture Systems that help in “fulfilling demands for nutrient-dense, high protein products” that can help formulators produce appetizing plant-forward, indulgent offerings such as snacks and bars, frozen treats, dairy and meat alternatives.

Concurrently, fat reduction ingredients are also gaining traction, says Pelsmaeker.

“Puratos’s Puraslim, an innovative technology available in both improvers and mixes, enables bakers to cut fat content by up to 50% reduction while preserving the taste and texture that consumers crave.”

She also puts sourdough at the top of the trending ingredient list, which was once valued primarily for its “artisanal appeal and associated largely with rustic bread.”

“Its extended fermentation process enhances digestibility, unlocking nutritional benefits, which has helped to drive demand. We now offer sourdough solutions for various bakery products beyond traditional breads, including sweet bakery and cakes.”

Alongside this, the demand for botanicals is also touted to grow, with herbs, chamomile, and cinnamon added to chocolates as healthy additions, she elaborates.

Vibrant and plant-forward future
Healthy indulgence products go hand-in-hand with satisfying taste and textures, notes Stomph, encouraging that brands should explore unique flavor combinations in “extravagant” offerings for an “exciting” sensory experience.

Sara De Pelsmaeker, health & well-being director at Puratos (Image credit: Puratos).However, he also points toward sustainability being important for consumers. “Brands that want to stand out from the crowd will need to develop products that not only align with key demands for health and indulgence, but that are also beneficial to the planet.”

For Hörmann, better-for-you options of non-traditional functional products and children’s nutrition are ripe for innovation, with drinkable yogurts and snack packs popping with exciting formats, flavors and colors that incorporate fiber, biotics and wholesome ingredients will win with kids and caregivers alike.

“Vibrant foods and beverages are jumping off screens into the mainstream with flavor inspirations from fruit-forward grape or lychee notes, as well as more savory, regional flavors like [Chinese sauce] shacha.”

“Product manufacturers will continue to be challenged to find the right balance between taste expectations and supporting individual wellness demands,” he concludes.

Looking ahead, the findings of Puratos’ Taste Tomorrow report predict that “plant-centric” will remain a prominent trend for 2024, with 52% of consumers already considering plant-based alternatives comparable to animal-based products.

“Indulgent snacking experiences are also being redefined. This presents an opportunity to create healthier alternatives, focusing on reduced sugar, fat, increased dietary fiber and functional foods with clearly defined health benefits,” concludes Pelsmaeker.

By Insha Naureen