New research from HelloFresh bites into the nation’s changing diets and reveals what’s impacting the way we eat

Leading meal-kit provider, HelloFresh serves up fresh research that explores New Zealand’s changing diets, revealing how eating habits have changed over time, due to environmental and societal impacts. Over 45% of Kiwis have recently changed their diet, with increased living costs, sustainability and health acting as the main contributors.

Stretching the budget:

With local food prices hitting an all-time high, over 50% of Kiwis have been forced to rethink their typical food purchases, and shift to buying items and cooking meals that are more cost effective. Research also revealed that 35% of respondents' weekly supermarket shop has increased substantially by $50 - $100.

With the steep increase in food prices, Kiwis are aiming to make their money go further. A popular solution includes adapting their diet choices, with 42% of the country buying less meat and purchasing seasonal produce.

Providing tips on how to approach food shopping, Director Culinary Innovation & Operations, Hannah Gilbert at HelloFresh said: “Meal planning is a savvy way to stick to your food budget - allowing you to enjoy quality ingredients without breaking the bank. One of the biggest ways households spend more than they need to is through food waste, with leftover ingredients ending up in the bin. Recipes from HelloFresh contain pre-portioned ingredients to ensure that you’re cooking and eating everything you purchase, ultimately reducing your food waste.”

Mindful living:

How and what we eat has an important impact on the environment, and over the past few years a number of Kiwis have adapted their diets with Planet Earth in mind.

According to Kiwis, there are many simple and achievable ways to live more sustainably when it comes to food purchase and consumption, such as reducing food waste which is supported by 77% of New Zealanders.

For over 60% of the nation, shopping locally is also a top priority when it comes to doing their bit to help the environment as purchasing local produce helps decrease emissions related to travel. For those looking to play their part in helping the environment, but need a hand on where to start, switching to a meal-kit provider can be a sustainable option. HelloFresh meals create 25% fewer CO2 emissions than the same meals made from supermarket ingredients, due to a lean supply chain with local Kiwi Suppliers.

Healthy changes:

As Kiwis become more knowledgeable about what they eat and how it impacts their overall health, diets begin to change. Over the past few years, 62% of respondents have changed their diet to benefit their overall well-being with 44% considering adopting a plant-based diet for health benefits. This is particularly prevalent in the current climate where the cost of supermarket items, particularly meat, has increased rapidly, encouraging 46% of respondents to consider switching up their diet and ditching meat to save money.

A plant-based diet is great for increasing your daily vegetable intake, with plants and veggies being a source of essential nutrients, which overall help to support your immune system.

Hannah says, “Following a flexitarian or plant-based diet is also a great way to place less stress on the planet. A diet that incorporates more plant foods can improve the health of our environment and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.”

For those looking to consume less meat, HelloFresh offers a ‘flexitarian’ preference offering customers the chance to order recipes with meat, alongside trying their new veggie/plant-based recipes like Falafels & Moroccan Curry Sauce and Pumpkin & Basil Pesto Risotto, each week.

It’s clear that as the world around us changes, so do Kiwis consumption habits. Day-to-day diets aren’t solely driven by our taste preferences, but adapt to take factors such as living costs, the environment and personal health into account.

About HelloFresh

HelloFresh SE is a global food solutions group and the world's leading meal kit company. The HelloFresh Group consists of six brands that provide customers with high quality food and recipes for different meal occasions. The Company was founded in Berlin in November 2011 and operates in the USA, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, France, Denmark, Norway, Italy and Japan. In Q1 2022 HelloFresh delivered 287 million meals and reached 8.52 million active customers. HelloFresh went public on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in November 2017 and has been traded on the DAX (German Stock Market Index) since September 2021. HelloFresh has offices in New York, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Sydney, Toronto, Auckland, Paris, Copenhagen, Milan and Tokyo.

About the research

The research was conducted by Pure Profile with a sample of 2,000 Kiwis aged 18 years and older. The data was weighted by age, gender and region.

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