# Better-for-you brands dropped health claims for taste messaging and broadened their customer base 30-40%

*Modern Retail reports the shift from wellness to flavor unlocks mass appeal without losing the health halo.*

By **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA, Principal** — The Stash Edge, Hako Shikin LLC.
Published 2026-06-18.

Canonical: https://www.pops4.com/stash/articles/better-for-you-food-brands-2026-06-18t00-5
Subject: Better-for-you food brands
Tags: packaging, better-for-you, messaging, cpg, retail

---

Better-for-you food brands are reversing a decade of health-first packaging, according to Modern Retail, and the category is seeing **30-40% broader customer acquisition** as a result. Brands like Solely, Partake Foods, and Hippeas now lead with taste, texture, and fun on the front of pack while relegating nutritional claims to the back panel or omitting them entirely from hero messaging.

The mechanic is straightforward: front-of-pack copy emphasizes flavor descriptors — "crunchy," "tangy," "decadent" — while illustrations and photography show the eating experience, not the ingredient list. Solely, a fruit snack brand, replaced "organic" and "no added sugar" with "whole fruit gummies" and bright, playful illustrations. Partake Foods, an allergy-friendly cookie brand, shifted from "free-from" language to "soft-baked" and "birthday cake" flavor callouts. According to the Modern Retail report, these brands cite consumer research showing that shoppers skip products that feel like medicine, even when they want healthier options.

The underlying mechanism is permission: taste-first messaging gives mainstream shoppers a reason to try the product that doesn't require admitting they're shopping for health. A consumer buying Hippeas chickpea puffs for "nacho vibes" feels different than one buying them for protein or fiber, even though the nutritional profile is identical. The brand removes the identity tax of being a "health person" and replaces it with the low-stakes appeal of trying something that sounds good. This opens the funnel to consumers who would never enter the better-for-you aisle but will grab a brightly colored bag promising crunch and flavor at the checkout.

The data supports the shift: brands interviewed by Modern Retail report that taste-forward packaging drives trial among younger demographics and male shoppers, two groups that historically under-index on health-focused products. The health halo remains — the product is still organic, high-protein, or allergen-free — but it's no longer the lead. The result is a product that competes in the snack category on taste, not in the wellness category on virtue.

For a small physical-product brand, the steal is a packaging audit and a rewrite. Print your current front-of-pack copy and circle every health claim: organic, non-GMO, sugar-free, high-fiber. Replace each with a sensory or experiential descriptor: crispy, rich, bright, smooth, "tastes like the original." If your product is a protein bar, stop saying "**20g protein**" on the front and start saying "fudgy brownie." Put the **20g** on the back. If you're selling granola, replace "gluten-free" with "maple pecan clusters." The health claim doesn't disappear; it just moves to the supporting role. For packaging updates, work with your printer on a label revision rather than a full rebrand. Cost per unit increases **$0.08-0.15** for a new label run, but you're printing the same quantity. Test the new messaging in a limited SKU or a single retail account before rolling it out across your line.

The broader pattern is that the category has matured past the early-adopter phase. Health-conscious consumers already know where to find better-for-you products. The growth now comes from converting the shopper who wants permission to enjoy food without guilt, and taste messaging is that permission structure.

## The takeaway

Lead with flavor and sensory experience on front-of-pack; move health claims to the back panel to broaden trial.

---

## Publisher

**Hako Shikin LLC** — Virginia Beach, Virginia. Founded 1997. ASI 217876 · DUNS 18-204-6339.
Principal and author: **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA**.

- Author: https://www.huanggoodman.com/about
- LLM context: https://www.pops4.com/stash/llms.txt
- MCP endpoint, for AI agents: https://mcp.pops4.com/mcp
- Client dashboard: https://dashboard.pops4.com/
- Catalogue: 70,000+ products, 200+ brands