More Consumers Drinking Breakfast

A new study finds that two in five U.S. consumers are drinking nutritional and performance beverages for their morning meal.

June 10, 2016

CHICAGO – Thirty-nine percent of consumers down performance and nutritional beverages for breakfast, according to new research from Mintel. What’s more, three in five (58%) consumers currently use nutritional and performance drinks as a meal replacement and 48% consume them as part of a meal, up from just 20% who used nutritional drinks as a meal supplement in 2012.

Eighty percent of consumers view nutritional and performance drinks as a great guilt-free snack. In addition to seven in 10 (69%) consumers agreeing that nutritional and performance drinks are a more effective source of nutrients, the majority of consumers agree that they are more convenient (79%) than whole foods, such as fruits, nuts and grains.

“The functional aspect of nutritional and performance drinks sets them apart from other drink categories at a time when consumers are looking for products that contribute to a healthy lifestyle,” said Beth Bloom, senior food and drink analyst at Mintel, in a press release. “Nutritional and performance drinks are the apex of convenience for the modern American lifestyle and diet, as consumers are moving away from three meals per day and are snacking more often. These beverages deliver on convenience, affordability and efficacy, a trio of positive advantages that appeal to today’s on-the-go consumers that are simply too busy to eat a sit-down breakfast at home.”

Overall, nine in 10 (88%) consumers agree that nutritional and performance drinks help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. Driven by their favorable functional attributes, nutritional drinks and performance drinks are gaining a larger market share of the overall category, which also includes sports drinks and weight loss drinks. From 2010-2015, performance drinks experienced 86% sales growth, while nutritional drinks saw 67% growth. The overall market grew 38%, reaching $13 billion in 2015.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement