You’ve probably purchased one of the latest superfoods crowding store shelves with incredible health claims. Who hasn’t thrown a carton of much-hyped oat milk into the shopping cart–virtual or otherwise? If you have, you’re not alone, but a new poll from OnePoll in conjunction with Smart LifeBite parent Crispy Green, found these trendy foods don’t always live up to the hype. The study examined the eating and snacking habits of 2,000 Americans and looked at many popular foods Smart LifeBites has already evaluated, such as in this Five Fad Foods story. According to the study, three in five Americans have started to consume new fad foods in hopes of a “miracle transformation.” Apple cider vinegar tonics topped the list of trends Americans have tested, followed by oat milk (73%), veganism (69%) and orange wine (66%).
If you’ve walked into a health food store lately, you’ve probably noticed the stacks of apple cider vinegar on display. Its sales have grown steadily in the last decade, reaching $836 million annually in 2018.
Eating for Health and Beauty
Melatonin-spiked drinks are also popular, with over half of the respondents claiming to have tried the lab-grown protein as a way to try to improve their health. Consuming foods to improve one’s physical appearances didn’t deliver on results, as only two out of five who did this were happy with the outcomes.
Just to Say They Did It
Some Americans jump on the health wagon just to be part of the gang. In fact a quarter admit they only try these trends to be able to say they tried something. The average respondent only really enjoys a third (36%) of the new trends they try.
Stomach Aches, Nausea, Breakouts
Adverse reactions are not uncommon from trying these much-hyped products. Some 42% experienced a stomach ache from consuming a fad food or drink. Others suffered from nausea (30%), while others reported that the foods made their skin breakouts (23%).
Paying More for the Untested Foods
Gender also came into play with twice as many men were likely to try new food trends as women. And betting on the premise of health, Americans were willing to shell out more money for fad foods. More than half of Americans(61%) reported they would be willing to pay a higher price for natural, healthy snacks.
The price of oat milk is 2.5 times more than the equivalent of dairy milk, but sales are still going through the roof.
Clean Ingredients, No-Added Sugar
Clean ingredients, referring to a product containing fewer, unprocessed ingredients, was important to half of the Americans surveyed when trying new trends. A close second was that a product should contain no added sugar (48%) or the amount of calories per serving (45%).
Common Sense Rules
When it comes down to it, select fad superfoods based on their nutritional value that you enjoy AND can afford. And don’t be afraid to buck the trend and stick with tried and true healthy favorites–such as fruits and vegetables–that will give you the nutritional benefits you need.
