Ocado Retail says younger shoppers are increasingly treating food as a tool for long-term health, with new research suggesting that diet choices among 16-to-34-year-olds are being shaped less by short-term weight-loss trends and more by ideas around longevity, balance and prevention. The retailer found that 64% of consumers in that age bracket now consider whether their shop supports a healthy diet over the long term, while 68% of Gen Z and millennial respondents said they understand which nutrients matter most for future wellbeing.

The same study found that 69% of those younger shoppers see eating and drinking for longevity as an important part of healthy living. Charlie Parker, senior nutritionist at Ocado Retail, said the shift reflects a move away from fad-led dieting and towards everyday choices that support wellbeing over time. Ocado says the pattern is showing up in sales, with fibre-rich meals up 187% year on year and gut-health products also performing strongly.

The data points to growing demand for traditional fibre-heavy foods as well as modern health-focused staples. Ocado Retail said searches on its site for high-fibre products rose 87% year on year, while items including prunes, fruit and fibre cereal and spelt posted notable gains. In a separate survey with Savanta, the retailer said 62% of Gen Z consumers are actively trying to increase their fibre intake, compared with 36% of over-65s, underlining a generational split in attitudes to nutrition.

Ocado also linked the trend to social media, saying 58% of Gen Z and millennial shoppers had come across longevity-related content online. Beyond fibre, the retailer has seen brisk sales in kefir and kombucha, while high-protein ready meals have also grown sharply. Within its own-label range, products such as high-protein bang bang chicken and protein cod, scallop and prawn linguine have recorded sizeable increases, suggesting younger consumers are not only looking for healthier foods but are also willing to trade up for convenience and novelty.