Americans Grade Themselves Better Than Average For Diet Healthfulness
New Research Reveals Rising Awareness Of Dietary Guidance, Label Information & Ultraprocessed Foods
(Washington, D.C.) — Americans are paying closer attention to what’s on their plates and demonstrate greater awareness of dietary guidance, label information, and ultraprocessed foods. In fact, according to the 2025 International Food Information Council (IFIC) Food & Health Survey, Americans grade their personal diets higher than the average Americans’ diet.
“With the upcoming release of the MAHA Commission Strategy Report and the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, food, nutrition and health are poised to take center stage in the national dialogue,” said IFIC President & CEO Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN. “Before diving into these critical conversations, we must first listen to the consumer: How do they perceive their own eating habits, and how do those perceptions measure up against national recommendations?”
In 2025, 64% of Americans graded their own diet as a B– or better, while only 24% gave the same grade to the average American’s diet. While the grade given to their personal diets has not significantly changed since Americans were last to examine their diets in 2013, there is improvement in the grade given to the average American diet—up 11 percentage points since 2013.
“When we look at the research results, it echoes what we found more than a decade ago—that people perceive their own diets to be healthier than that of the average American. While this trend continues, we also see that Americans see improvement in the diets of their fellow Americans,” said Kris Sollid, RD, IFIC Senior Director of Consumer Insights & Research.
Dietary Guidance Reaches More Americans
Awareness of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) continues to grow. In 2025, 44% said they know at least a fair amount about the DGA, nearly double the share from 2009. Recognition of MyPlate, the current United States government’s dietary guidance graphic, first introduced in June 2011, also reached a record high this year at 77%.
Diet Trends & Nutrient Goals: Protein Rules, Produce Lags
More Americans than ever are rethinking what’s on their plate: 57% now follow a specific diet or eating style—up sharply from just 36% in 2018. Leading the way? High-protein eating (23%) and mindful eating (19%). More Americans also report calorie counting (15%) in 2025. For the third straight year, high protein is the most common diet that Americans are following, and it continues to rise.
When it comes to nutrients, protein reigns supreme, with seven in ten Americans actively seeking to consume it in their diet. On the flip side, sodium takes the top spot among nutrients people are trying to cut back on (52%) followed by saturated fat (45%). Sugar is on Americans’ minds as well, although less than 10 years ago—63% are concerned about how much they consume, and only slightly fewer (56%) as many worry about the type of sugar they’re eating. In 2015, 7 in 10 (71%) expressed concern with the amount and 6 in 10 (64%) with the type.
Yet even with all this focus on diet, nutritional gaps remain wide: more than 80% of Americans still fall short on the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, a finding in this survey that matches decades of documented low fruit and vegetable intake among Americans.
Processed Foods Take The Spotlight
According to the survey, American’s aren’t just counting calories—they’re also interested in how their food is made. Familiarity with the term “ultraprocessed food” has surged 12 percentage points in just one year, reaching 44% in 2025. At the same time, eight in ten Americans say they consider whether food is processed before buying it, reflecting a growing curiosity about ingredients and manufacturing methods.
Among those familiar with the term “ultraprocessed food,” half rely on the ingredients list (53%) or the Nutrition Facts label (49%) to determine whether a food or beverage fits the description.
Labels Matter: 90% Of Americans Use Food Labels To Guide Eating Decisions
Food labels remain a trusted source of information, with 90% of respondents saying they use the information on food and beverage packaging. Six in ten Americans say the amount of nutrition information on packaging is “just right” and more than half (55%) say they use the information to decide what to eat more of and what to avoid. Expiration dates, Nutrition Facts panels, and ingredients lists remain the most-checked features on packaging. While these top three remain unchanged since 2015, more Americans in 2025 report checking several pieces of information packaging compared to ten years ago.
“Americans care about their health, and they are increasingly paying close attention to what they eat, how food is made as well as the labels that convey that information,” said Reinhardt Kapsak. “This growing awareness is a powerful opportunity—not just for healthier individual choices, but for shaping a national food culture that’s informed, engaged, and ready to embrace better nutrition.”
About The Research
To mark the 20th anniversary of the IFIC Food & Health Survey, IFIC is implementing a rolling release throughout the rest of the year. That means we are taking the most salient insights from the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey, coupled with those from our monthly IFIC Spotlight Surveys, for one release each month.
View the August research report here.
Interested in learning more about how consumers think about dietary guidance and food labels? Catch the conversation during the IFIC Expert Webinar: When Guidelines Make Headlines: American Perceptions of U.S. Dietary Guidance & Food Labeling on Thursday, August 21, 2pm ET, featuring insights from IFIC President & CEO Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, and IFIC Senior Director, Kris Sollid, RD.
Each IFIC Expert Webinar is free and provides opportunities for audience questions.
Register for the IFIC Expert Webinar here.
Research Methodology
This report from IFIC contains results from two separate consumer surveys—the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey and the August 2025 IFIC Spotlight Survey. Methodology for each survey is described below:
2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey
IFIC commissions this survey annually among U.S. consumers (n=3000), with 2025 marking the 20th consecutive year of the IFIC Food & Health Survey. Results were weighted to ensure that they are reflective of the American population ages 18 to 80 years, as seen in the 2024 Current Population Survey. Specifically, results were weighted by age, education, gender, race/ethnicity, and region. Totals may not equal 100% due to rounding. The 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey was fielded from March 13-27, 2025.
August 2025 IFIC Spotlight Survey
IFIC commissioned this online survey among U.S. consumers (n=1000) to measure knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about dietary guidance and food labeling. One thousand adults, ages 18 years and older, completed the online survey from April 7-11, 2025. Data were weighted to ensure proportional results. Totals may not equal 100% due to rounding.