Arla’s ‘Plate of the Nation’ report highlights UK nutrition gap despite strong healthy eating awareness

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Many people across the UK are consuming enough calories but not enough of the nutrients needed to support long-term health, according to new findings from Arla’s Plate of the Nation report.

• Arla’s research found that 79% of UK consumers considered healthy eating important, but only 53% believed they ate healthily most of the time.
• The report identified cost, convenience, confusion and taste preferences as key barriers preventing healthier food choices.
• Data highlighted concerns around nutrient intake among teenage girls, particularly calcium and iodine consumption.

Developed in collaboration with the British Nutrition Foundation, the report combined national nutrition data with survey responses from more than 5,000 adults and 800 children across the UK.

The findings suggested that while awareness of healthy eating remained high, many consumers continued to struggle to translate that knowledge into everyday dietary habits.

According to the report, 79% of respondents said healthy eating was important to them, yet only 53% felt they ate healthily most of the time. While 75% believed they understood which foods were healthy, only 37% agreed that eating a healthy diet was easy.

The research identified several factors contributing to this gap. Convenience was cited as a major challenge, with less nutritious foods often seen as quicker and easier options. Cost also remained a significant concern, while conflicting information about healthy eating contributed to confusion. Taste preferences, particularly among younger consumers, represented another barrier.

Among children, taste emerged as a particularly influential factor. The survey found that 98% wanted to eat foods that tasted good, while almost half acknowledged that their favorite foods were not always healthy.

Arla described the resulting disconnect between awareness and behavior as a “nutrition gap,” arguing that the issue represented a hidden challenge with implications for current and future health outcomes.

The report also drew attention to nutrition among adolescents, particularly teenage girls.

During adolescence, nutritional requirements increase as the body undergoes significant physical development. However, the data indicated that nearly one in five teenage girls were not consuming enough calcium, while around one in three girls aged 11-18 fell short of recommended iodine intake levels.

The report noted that both nutrients play important roles in bone health and cognitive development. While deficiencies may not produce immediate symptoms, they could have long-term consequences.

Beyond age-related concerns, the findings highlighted significant disparities in access to healthy diets across different socioeconomic groups.

According to the report, households in the most deprived communities could need to spend around 50% of their disposable income to meet recommended dietary guidelines. For families with children, that figure could rise to as much as 70%.

These economic pressures appeared to be reflected in reported eating habits. Only 40% of respondents from the most deprived households said they ate healthily most of the time, compared with 56% of those in more affluent groups.

The report linked these dietary inequalities to broader health disparities across the UK. It noted that healthy life expectancy could vary by as much as 19 years depending on where people lived.

Arla argued that addressing these challenges would require a broader discussion about nutrition, moving beyond a sole focus on reducing sugar, salt and fat and placing greater emphasis on the nutrients people should be encouraged to consume.

Bas Padberg, Managing Director of Arla Foods UK, said, “This research shows a nation that understands the problem but faces structural barriers - convenience, confusion, cost and taste - that make healthy eating feel harder.”

Padberg also stressed the need for collective action across multiple sectors.

“Closing the nutrition gap is bigger than any one company or any one policy… it will take businesses, government, educators, health professionals and communities working together,” he said.

Alongside publishing the report, Arla outlined several initiatives intended to support improved nutrition outcomes.

The company said it would focus on improving food literacy through clearer and more trusted nutrition information, helping build a stronger food culture around nutritious choices, and supporting greater access to healthy food.

As part of these efforts, Arla committed to reviewing its on-pack labeling to better communicate nutritional benefits and support informed purchasing decisions. The company also announced plans to expand school outreach activities designed to improve understanding of nutrition among young people and strengthen partnerships aimed at increasing access to nutritious foods, including breakfast-focused initiatives.

The report concluded that improving diets across the UK would require more than individual behavior change. Instead, it suggested that healthier choices needed to become easier, more practical and more appealing for consumers from all backgrounds.

By bringing together businesses, policymakers, educators, health professionals and community organizations, Arla argued there was an opportunity to create a food environment that better supports healthy eating and helps close the nation's nutrition gap.