As the functional nutrition industry continues to evolve, emerging trends are redefining how consumers approach health. They’re blending sensory enjoyment, transparency, precision and holistic wellness to support healthy weight, long-term vitality and mental wellbeing.
Glanbia stands at the forefront of this evolution, driving innovation through science-backed ingredients and actionable consumer insights that empower brands to meet consumers’ most important health demands. Our Insights Team has released the latest edition of MegaTrends, an annual deep dive into the future of functional nutrition. This session uncovers the insights that will define 2026 and beyond.
From shifting consumer priorities to breakthrough opportunities in taste, transparency, and personalisation, this is where the next generation of product and brand innovation begins.
Understanding functional nutrition
Functional nutrition is the practice of designing foods, beverages and supplements that go beyond basic nourishment to deliver specific health and wellness benefits. It connects nutrition, functionality and purpose. Functional nutrition architects align ingredient science with everyday eating habits to make healthy living easier and more enjoyable.
At its core, functional nutrition recognises that what people consume can actively support how they feel, perform and live. It reflects a shift from simply “meeting dietary needs” to consumers seeking enjoyable solutions that help them live better today and tomorrow.
With one in three consumers globally saying health and wellbeing is a top spending priority and over half of consumers taking a proactive approach to healthy living, functional nutrition products are playing a critical role for consumers (1). The functional nutrition trends for 2026 offer key insights into what consumers want and expect.
Emerging megatrends in functional nutrition
1. Pleasure with purpose
Delivering a pleasurable sensory experience is critical, including in functional products. When buying nutritious foods and beverages, taste and texture are the most important attributes to consumers after price (2). Brands should ensure enjoyment is multisensorial with attention to appearance, taste and texture.
2. Trusted transparency
In an increasingly uncertain world, transparency is essential to building consumer trust. Increased scrutiny of food dyes, sugar content, and nutrition scores, aimed at improving public health, is driving reformulation across the food and beverage industry. Clean labels, ethical standards, and openness to communicate with consumers are all ways brands can demonstrate their commitment to honesty and responsibility.
3. Optimising life fundamentals
Consumers are also revisiting how to meet and optimise their basic needs, including energy, sleep, eating, hydrating and looking for functional nutrition solutions. People are under real pressure and that influences how they think about their health choices every single day. When life feels complicated, consumers don’t want complexity from their nutrition. Optimising life fundamentals isn’t about radical change. It’s about small, meaningful upgrades that help people keep going. New creative angles and innovative applications will shine here.
4. Wellness inside and out
Another significant trend is the expanding definition of wellness. Consumers today are juggling so much; from work and family to finances and social commitments. They’re trying to balance both their physical and mental health at the same time. That balance has become a top priority. What we’re seeing in nutrition is that people want solutions that support a healthy, energised, active lifestyle—not just physically active, but socially active, emotionally balanced and mentally clear.
5. Empowering healthy weight
With the growing use of GLP-1 medications, attention to weight management is at an all-time high, with nutrient density and hydration as key priorities for these consumers. Today’s weight management consumers feel empowered and are taking a proactive approach, focusing on long-term health. Weight management is the number one physical health concern among consumers globally, cited by 38% of consumers (3).
The important difference with this trend is that weight management today looks very different than it did even a few years ago. And of course, the rise of GLP-1 medications has become a major catalyst in this space. They’re accelerating consumer interest particularly in nutrition’s role in weight management, because people want to ensure their bodies are getting what they need when they don’t feel hungry. We see this driving demand for more nutrient-dense foods and supplements.
6. Proactively tailoring solutions
Tailored solutions are another major functional nutrition trend for 2026, driven by consumers’ desire to proactively manage their specific health and wellness concerns, especially in the face of rising healthcare costs. One in three consumers has taken more action to be self-sufficient over the past year in areas such as health (4) using digital tools, and turning to nutrition products tailored by age, gender, performance goals and health conditions.
Opportunities for innovation in nutrition products
There are many opportunities for brands to meet the expectation of pleasure with purpose, from vitamin-fortified fruit candies to functional carbonated soft drinks to sweet or savoury protein bites. Protein is also foundational to optimising life fundamentals, such as at breakfast, with protein-fortified bakery products or cereals for sustained energy.
Innovations to empower healthy weight might include new alternatives to meal replacement shakes, such as sippable soups and smoothie bowls, as well as convenient protein snacks and easy macronutrient top-ups like powder sticks to add to hot or cold beverages.
Proactively tailored solutions are particularly in demand in the functional beverage, active nutrition, clinical nutrition, and supplement categories. Possibilities include unique antioxidant blends, formats such as nutritional shots, and women’s health products focused on perimenopause, menopause and menstrual cycle support.
Glanbia’s approach to ongoing nutrition innovation
Glanbia's science-backed ingredient solutions make it easy to develop or customise foods, beverages and supplements that will deliver on consumer expectations of effective, relevant functional nutrition. Watch this year's full webinar here. Learn more about our Health & Nutrition division here and our Dairy Nutrition division here.
References
1. Innova Market Insights, Trending in Functional Food: Tailoring Nutrition to Meet Consumer Needs – Global, June 2025.
2. Innova Market Insights, Top Flavor Trends 2025: #4 Healthier Enjoyment – Global, March 2025.
3. Innova Market Insights, Top 10 Trends 2025: #2 Precision Wellness – Global, March 2025.
4. Innova Market Insights, Trending in Consumer Behavior & Attitudes – Global, June 2025.