How people will fuel, function and flourish this year

Food in 2026 isn’t just about feeding yourself. It’s about supporting who you’re becoming.

Shoppers are choosing products that support strength, energy, and longevity. They’re discovering via social, validating in-store, and rewarding brands that help them feel good now and later.

Here are five behaviours influencing FMCG marketing in 2026.

1. The Pre-Selected Basket

What’s happening:
Food choices are increasingly made before shoppers hit the aisle. Discovery happens on feeds (pun intended). Decisions happen fast.

What the data’s saying:
Over 60% of shoppers now discover new food products outside traditional grocery stores, and most people consider only 2–3 brands per category.

So what?
Social earns the spot. Retail confirms it.

What should brands do?
Own a specific purpose. Breakfast strength. Post-gym recovery. Skin-support smoothie. If you can clearly link to a job-to-be-done, you’re in.

2. The Performance Pantry

What’s happening:
Food is becoming long-term infrastructure. Shoppers aren’t just eating for today — they’re eating for strength in five years.

Performance ingredients like creatine, fibre, and adaptogens are moving from sports nutrition into mainstream weekly shops.

What the data’s saying:
Protein is one of the fastest-growing claims in global food and beverage launches for five consecutive years.

So what?
Food is being chosen for what it supports: recovery, resilience, and long-term energy.

What should brands do?
Make functional benefits obvious. It doesn’t have to be clinical — just clear.

3. Beauty Starts in the Fridge

What’s happening:
The beauty aisle and the food aisle are getting closer. Consumers are looking for skincare-supporting, collagen-rich, antioxidant-packed foods that support skin, hair, and nails from within.

What the data’s saying:
The global ingestible beauty market is projected to surpass £7 billion by 2030.

So what?
Beauty routines now include what’s blended, stirred, and sipped.

What should brands do?
Cross-category thinking. Beauty-adjacent retail moments. Social content that connects what’s on the plate to what’s on the face.

4. Smart Energy Fuel

What’s happening:
Energy without a spike (or crash) is the new goal. Consumers are prioritising sustained focus, stable blood sugar, and balanced nutrition.

What the data’s saying:
Over 40% of consumers are actively trying to reduce their sugar intake. Lower-sugar, higher-fibre, and slow-release formats continue to outperform quick-fix energy products.

So what?
Steady performance beats short-term spikes.

What should brands do?
Frame products around stamina and consistency. Design experiential campaigns around “powering your whole day.”

5. Designing for Smaller Appetites

What’s happening:
Portions are shrinking — but expectations are not.

A growing number of consumers are adapting to smaller appetites and more intentional eating habits, driven by increased use of GLP-1 medications and busier lifestyles.

What the data’s saying:
Searches around “high-protein small meals” and “what to eat on GLP-1” are increasing. Dieticians are emphasising nutrient density when appetite is reduced.

So what?
Less on the plate, more expectation for performance.

What should brands do?
Design deliberately for smaller appetites and portions. It’s more about eating smarter than eating less.

Making for a Tasty 2026

Food in 2026 is functional, flexible, and future-facing.

Shoppers aren’t just asking, “Is this tasty?”

They’re asking, “What does this support?”

Strength.
Beauty.
Energy.
Longevity.

If it earns a place in the beauty routine, the gym bag, or the 3pm slump, it’ll earn a place in the basket.

✨ Want to explore how experiential can drive real impact for your brand?

From strategy to execution, we help brands create meaningful, measurable experiences that people remember.

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