Healthy Fats, Wholefoods, and Permission to Indulge: Inside the Future of Food

In a rapidly changing food landscape, one shift is becoming clear – people are rethinking what “healthy” really means.

Consumers are increasingly questioning the old “fat is bad” narrative. Instead, healthy fats, particularly from real food sources, are being embraced for their role in satiety, metabolic health, and overall wellbeing, especially among younger, health-active consumers.

Last week, the WMO attended the Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona, and hosted a forum ahead of the event. Joined by trends expert, Julian Mellentin, discussions reinforced that while taste, texture and pleasure remain the lead drivers of choice, healthy fats and wholefoods are now clear competitive advantages. Pairing “real food” with permission to indulge continues to resonate strongly, particularly with younger, health-active consumers who are increasingly willing to pay a premium. We sampled products from around the world, where these trends were clearly reflected in what’s already appearing on shelves.

And there was plenty of discussion about the impact of GLP-1 hormone replacement drugs and the new US Dietary Guidelines, concluding there is a predominately favourable impact on our industry.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the forum, and congratulations to the Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association team for delivering a fantastic conference in a convivial and beautiful setting.