New York, NY—40% of Americans are afraid of developing serious illnesses due to an unhealthy diet, according to new research from Spoon Guru. Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. citizens (19%) fear an untimely death due to their diet.

According to a press release, while 74% of respondents have tried to improve their health over the course of the past year, 88% of those respondents still follow an unhealthy diet, and 68% of those respondents eat five or more meals containing processed food each week.



46% of Americans eat no more than one piece of fruit per day, and 30% eat no more than one vegetable.

In plant-based news, 23% of respondents are now eating less meat. And while health was the secondary reason why consumers had reduced their intake, 45% of respondents cited cost as their reason for eating less meat.

Adherence to a healthy diet appears subject to socializing: 47% of Americans tend to ditch their healthy diets on Fridays. Being busy also prevented healthy eating, and 29% said dinners were their least healthy meal—again, because they were busy, but also because two-thirds of the respondents noted that they reserved evenings for satisfying their appetites and cravings.

Markus Stripf, co-founder and CEO of Spoon Guru, said in the release: “It’s clear to see that wellbeing is front of mind for many Americans, with well over half making healthier food choices in the past year. However, what seems to be missing is the awareness of the nutritional value of certain foods and the importance of leading a balanced lifestyle.

“The research also showcased that there’s an opportunity for retailers to provide further education for consumers,” Stripf continued, “as 54% stated they would like grocers to do more to encourage healthy eating. That said, we have noticed a trend with retailers wanting to enhance the customer experience of personalized food discovery through the use of technology. As a result, we are proactively partnering with retailers in the U.S. and throughout the world to ultimately help consumers achieve their health goals with much more ease.”