Fresh Produce is the Original Functional Food — and the Industry’s Biggest Untapped Advantage

In an era of rising healthcare costs, growing rates of diet-related disease, and online debates about “what’s healthy,” the produce industry holds the most powerful — and most underutilized — story in all of food: fruits and vegetables are the ultimate functional foods.

We’re not riding a passing trend. Health and wellness have shifted from niche claims to cultural imperatives, with consumers seeking foods that help them feel better, think more clearly, age well and prevent illness. Food is medicine, the concept of using what’s on your plate to protect and improve your health, has been around for decades, but recent momentum has opened a new opportunity: positioning produce as the easiest, most credible path to wellness.

WHY WELLNESS MATTERS NOW

Produce is naturally nutrient-dense, fiber-rich, phytonutrient-packed and versatile enough to fit any eating pattern or culture. In today’s Make America Healthy Again climate, that’s not just a selling point, it’s a public health lifeline.

But here’s the reality: People don’t overhaul their diets overnight. We need to meet consumers where they are to make small changes that are sustainable over time. It might be teaching someone to roast vegetables at high heat (a game-changer for Brussels sprouts) or showing how blending mushrooms with ground beef can stretch a meal while boosting nutritional value. These approaches honor cultural traditions and economic realities while nudging eating habits in a healthier direction.

For the produce industry, that means moving away from a “just eat more fruits and vegetables” drumbeat and toward messaging that inspires specific actions that can be easily incorporated into everyday life.

THE EVOLUTION OF HEALTH

Younger generations, especially Gen Z, are more ingredient-savvy than previous generations. They want to know where their food comes from, how it’s grown and how it can benefit them. They’re fluent in the language of functional foods — gut health, anti-inflammation, brain health — and hungry for options that fit their lifestyle.

At the same time, they’re navigating a paradox: Never before have consumers had so much access to food information, and never before has misinformation been so rampant. Social media has replaced traditional nutrition education, leaving consumers to sort fact from fad while influencers with no formal training shape the conversation. This is a prime opportunity for produce brands to step in with science-backed, easy-to-digest education that builds trust.

The wellness movement is here to stay, and the produce industry is uniquely positioned to lead it.

Nutrition research is key here. Public funding is scarce, so high-quality, industry-funded studies are often the only way to generate the insights needed to understand the health benefit potential of fruits and vegetables. When conducted with transparency and rigor, this research is a powerful tool for credibility and differentiation.

THE WELLNESS MINDSET: BEYOND NUTRITION FACTS

Wellness isn’t just a trend, it’s a mindset. And it’s not one-size-fits-all. For a high-end natural grocery shopper, wellness might mean organic certification and superfood ingredients. For someone in a food desert with a tight budget, it could mean affordable frozen produce that delivers essential nutrients without waste.

For the produce industry, wellness marketing means moving beyond “vitamins and minerals” into lifestyle-driven storytelling. How does your product help a young athlete recover faster? Support mental clarity for busy professionals? Offer accessible, nutrient-packed options for families on a budget?

Produce already checks all the functional food boxes. These benefits resonate with younger audiences seeking foods that make them feel good today while protecting their health tomorrow.

GEN Z, POLICY SHIFTS AND CULTURAL CHANGE

As Gen Z consumers enter adulthood and become parents, their preferences will reshape the food landscape. They’ll expect convenience, transparency, excellent taste and better integration of wellness into everyday eating.

But industry effort alone won’t move the needle on public health. We need stronger government support for programs that make healthy foods more affordable and policies that bring produce into more schools, hospitals and community programs.

We must remember that our audiences are diverse with varying needs, interests, desires and financial resources — our positioning and messaging must be audience-specific to have the biggest business and public health impact.

WHAT THE PRODUCE INDUSTRY CAN DO

The wellness movement is here to stay, and the produce industry is uniquely positioned to lead it. We need to continue to invest in evidence-based research to deepen consumer trust and prove real-world impact. We need to tell richer stories that connect produce to daily life and educate with empathy, offering simple, lifelong solutions. And we need to advocate for access so that wellness isn’t a privilege, it’s a public good.

Fresh produce isn’t just part of a healthy diet; it’s the foundation. In a market flooded with “functional” claims and fortified snacks, fruits and vegetables are the original functional food. It’s time to claim that position, unapologetically, and remind the world: If you want to eat for health, you need to start in the produce aisle.

Amber Gray is director at Wild Hive, Orlando, FL, a food, agriculture and nutrition integrated marketing agency.