Otamot and Simple Mills have conducted consumer research to figure out how Americans feel about pantry foods and how they feel about vegetables. Some top findings:

  • 85% of respondents say their typical pantry products are high in processed ingredients yet low in nutrients.

  • The majority of consumers believe the top sources of added sugar in their pantries right now include packaged snacks and bars, cold cereal, pasta sauce, condiments, and dried fruit.

  • 98% of consumers say they should be eating more vegetables than they are right now, particularly parents wanting to incorporate more veggies into their children’s day.

Full findings are displayed in the below infographic, courtesy of Otamot:

Image ID: An infographic titled "Americans Want Healthier Pantries." Each paragraph/factoid is accompanied by cartoon-style drawings of generic canned and jarred foods. The graphic opens with the paragraph "They know healthy pantries lead to healthier lives, and keeping better-for-you products on hand can help. Data shows people who stock healthy pantry products have higher Healthy Eating Index (HEI*) scores and consume less added sugar and salt." Below that is four boxes, each containing a factoid, each with a background in a different bright color matching the accomponying rendered product. The top left box says "98% of study respondents** believe they need nutritious foods in the pantry in order to eat healthfully." The box on the top right says "81% of people say they want more healthy pantry products to make nutritious meals at home." The box on the bottom left says "People say these are the undesirable qualities about most pantry products," followed by the list: "Highly processed ingredients; High in added salt; High in added sugar; Low in nutrients; Low-quality ingredients." The box on the bottom right says: "People say the top sources of added sugar in their pantries are: Packaged snacks and bars; Cold cereal; Pasta sauce; Condiments; Dried fruit." End image ID. Image ID: The second half of the above infographic. It follows the same design convention--three rows of two boxes, each with a bright-colored background and a rendered image of a generic product. The top left box says: "People say the 5 healthiest pantry products are: Canned beans; Peanut butter/nut butter; Canned vegetables; Dry rice and other grains; Canned seafood/meat." The box in the top right says: "Respondents say the 5 unhealthiest pantry products are: Packaged snacks and bars; cold cereal; condiments; canned soup; baking ingredients." The middle left box says: "98% of people think they should be eating more vegetables every day." The middle right box says: "Parents want their kids to eat more veggies. Here is how they are doing that: Serving veggies at meals & snacks; Sneaking veggies into recipes; Serving more products made with veggies." The bottom left box says: "3 in 4 respondents say it's hard to get enough veggies every day. The main reasons? Vegetables aren't convenient to prepare (71%); Vegetables aren't part of their normal eating routine (54%); Vegetables are expensive (46%); Vegetables don't taste good (37%)." The box on the bottom right says: "54% of people say the easiest way to eat more veggies is to buy pantry products that contain more vegetables (ie: a veggie-loaded pasta sauce.)" Below the boxes are two statements corresponding to asterisks in the first half of the infographic. The statements are: *The Healthy Eating Index is a measure of diet quality used to assess how well a set of foods aligns with key recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. **Study includes responses from more than 1,000 participants from July-Sept 2021. Study was supported by healthy brands, including Otamot and Simple Mills, which work continually to make healthy eating easier and delicious. End Image ID.