Are low sugar products changing the ingredient conversation?

While “diet” might be a dirty word, low sugar products are changing the conversation when it comes to food ingredients. As consumers look to broader healthy eating conversations, a particular category isn’t just targeted to a specific group. With general health the focus of a balanced lifestyle, low sugar options are starting to find prime space on shelves. Have you joined the ingredient conversation yet?

For many years, low sugar products had specific labels. Sometimes tucked away in that “special” aisle, those other treats were meant to be a substitute for the higher sugar counterpart. Although people did not want to be deprived, they turned to the treat alternatives as a way to satisfy a craving. Even on a restrictive eating plan, that little treat seemed to make the changes less daunting.

As more people look to a balanced lifestyle and a broader conversation about ingredients and healthy eating, low sugar isn’t limited to a specific category or a food swap. It can be a general health conversation and an overall commitment to enjoying food without swinging too far to any extreme.

How did low sugar change the food conversation?

Recently, brands have found a way to adapt the low sugar conversation to a broader lifestyle ideal. As consumers become more aware of the ingredient choices, food transparency and nutrients, brands have responded. Terms like naturally sweetened are more important than lower calorie.

While the terms and perception matter, taste will always drive purchases. Even though consumers strive for healthy eating, balanced lifestyles, deprivation makes those goals unattainable. Some brands have found a way to create their own niche and consumers are taking notice.

For example, Lily’s Sweets found its way out of just a natural food store category and gained recognition on the mass retailer shelf. What started as a personal passion product transformed into a brand that many people turn to because it offers a great taste while fitting into a balanced lifestyle.

With Lily’s Sweets, it isn’t just providing a chocolate with no sugar added. It is providing a chocolate that satisfies just like those other sugar filled options sitting on the store shelf. When consumers do not feel that they are being deprived of the taste that they crave, they are more willing to make the switch. More importantly, they go back and buy the product time and again.

One interesting change to the low sugar conversation comes in the baking aisle. After many people have sought comfort in the stand mixer and oven, finding a way to create those baking treats without the processed sugars is important.

By expanding into the baking aisle, Lily’s Sweets makes baking comfort part of everyone’s conversation. Instead of the cookie or cake being banned from the table, it gets a special spot at the center of the celebration. The sweet life is meant to be enjoyed and there is a balanced way to do it.

Now, low sugar products have changed the food conversation. Could it replace the plant-based food trend in a balanced lifestyle?