Many consumers who rate their diet poorly acknowledge the need for change. However, only 1 in 4 consumers who say their diet needs improvement have made a health-related dietary change in the past month, according to the July Consumer Food Insights Report (CFI).

The public’s familiarity with the term “food insecurity” and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is mixed, with approximately 40% of Americans reporting they are only “slightly familiar” or “not at all familiar” with the concept and program, according to June’s Consumer Food Insights Report (CFI).

In this edition, we explore what consumers think about healthy diets and examine responses by self-rated diet quality. Additional questions explore consumer perceptions of and preferences for healthy food. What does “healthy food” mean to the consumer? What do they look for at the store? Do they believe in the connection between a good diet and a healthy life?

In this edition, we explore the last three years of CFI data disaggregated by U.S. Census region: (1) Northeast, (2) Midwest, (3) South and (4) West. Additional questions this month measure consumer perceptions of seed oils, which have come into the spotlight in recent months.

New questions this month explore consumer experiences with food prices and home food production. How do consumers describe current grocery prices? How are they adapting? Are they producing their own food? The report also includes urban-rural classification as part of its demographic analysis this month.

New questions this month explore consumer perceptions of processed foods. Do they know what they are? Are people concerned about their healthfulness? Why do they think people might choose them over unprocessed or minimally processed alternatives?