AND THIS YEAR IT’S ALL ABOUT FIBRE 🍞🥗🥝
For the third year running M&S Food, as the leading retailer for healthy choices*, is publishing its top five health and wellness trends, and also launching the M&S Food Health Trends Report 2026, to help customers make healthier choices.
With Eat Well, our health seal of approval, recently turning 21, and years of health firsts behind us, we always put our customers’ health and needs at the forefront of everything we do. Ensuring that not only are we innovating in everything, from our fresh produce to our meals and snacks, but we are also constantly reviewing our ingredients lists to ensure that not only everything is of the best quality, but also importantly only there if it has to be. Take MSG for example – did you know that we banned all MSG from our food back in 2008 and aspartame in 2007?
So, without further ado here’s what we believe will be the hot health topics for 2026 – and how you can make some simple swaps to benefit your own health goals.
The ambition of eating ‘No carbs before Marbs’ is a thing of the past! Because carbs are finally back – but not just any carbs. This time round, it’s all about upping our fibre intake because a massive 96% of us are just not consuming enough. Fibremaxxing involves adding more of the intrinsic fibres present in wholefoods, such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, pulses and grains to our diets – and while we don’t want to overload our systems too quickly or too much, we DO want to help our customers get as close to the recommended 30g of fibre a day as possible. M&S Senior Nutritionist Louisa Brunt says, “Currently only 4% of us are reaching the Government recommended fibre target of 30g fibre per day, with the average UK consumption at just 16g**. It is crucial to include adequate fibre in our diets to reduce the risk of diseases such Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and bowel cancer – as well as supporting out gut health. “It’s important to add fibre-rich foods gradually, to avoid feeling uncomfortable, but we think the good news about fibre is that it’s all about adding more of the good stuff to meals, rather than focusing on restriction or cutting things out – and we have created some fantastic products to help everyone do that in delicious ways. Most of us don’t eat enough fruit, vegetables or grains – but we are aiming to change that.” Fibre is also incredibly important to the 3-4%*** of the UK that are currently on GLP-1 weight loss injections such as Mounjaro. Constipation and malnutrition have been cited as side effects from these type of drugs. To help bridge this nutrient deficiency M&S Food has launched Nutrient Dense – a new range of salads, snacks and meals that are packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals. |
INTRODUCING NUTRIENT DENSE
Enter M&S’s new, delicious, extraordinary Nutrient Dense range – a range of nutrient-rich meals, snacks and drinks that contain high amounts of nutrients per calorie. The criteria is developed by M&S in house chefs and nutritionists in consultation with the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) and Eat Well, the range is made with delicious whole food, fresh and store cupboard ingredients that are packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals to help all our customers reach their daily targets. M&S Head of Food Innovation, Annette Peters, says, “The Nutrient Dense range is so exciting and is also incredibly useful for anyone trying to hit their nutritional targets. It is also great if customers are reducing their food intake, such as people using weight loss injections. We have challenged ourselves to make products that are denser in nutrients than calories, so every single mouthful is packed full of more of the nutrients we all need.”
£1.80 300g
Nutrient Dense H₅O shot £2 100ml This shot is made with coconut water, which is a source of naturally occurring electrolytes, blended with cold-pressed ginger juice, fruit and vegetable fibres, sea moss and unique botanicals – panax ginseng, Japanese honeysuckle, yellow passionfruit, ginger and green cardamom. We have called it H₅O because of these five botanical ingredients, which have been selected and verified by scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It also contains 4g of fibre from baobab and Jerusalem artichoke in just one shot and is high in iodine, from trendy ingredient of the moment sea moss. |
Biohacking has become a huge trend in the food world. It can mean all sorts of things, from meal prepping to intermittent fasting or drinking a vitamin-enriched protein shake but for M&S Food, it means making small dietary changes to support your wellbeing. We’ve done everything we can to make those small changes really easy for our customers, so they can be in tune with their wellbeing on the go. From sprinkles and toppers to shots and balls, all packed with nutrients and with different health benefits, we have our customers’ backs. Head of Product Claire Richardson says: “Our customers are also telling us that healthy eating should feel good, not hard, so with these new ranges, it couldn’t be easier to hack your health. We hope they are going to love our new one-stop shop of biohacking shots and snacks, featuring the latest on-trend, functional ingredients, from collagen to sea moss.” |
OUR BIOHACKING PICKS
Cold Pressed Collagen Shot £2.00 100ml Cold pressed cucumber, aloe vera and dragon fruit with bovine collagen peptides, hyaluronic acid and added vitamins and zinc. Eat Well.
Collagen Ball £1.75 40g Mango, passionfruit and almond ball with mango & apple filling, coated in desiccated coconut. High in zinc and source of vitamin C. Eat Well.
Cold Pressed Sea Moss Shot £2.00 100ml Having amassed more than 1.3billion TikTok views, sea moss is certainly having a moment. We have sourced the very best sea moss from the cold Atlantic off the coast of Ireland. It is high in iodine which many people in the UK lack in their diet. This shot has coconut water, sea moss, lime, ginger, lemon, apple |
Gone are the days of protein being for fitness addicts tracking their macros – many of us who wouldn’t call ourselves gym bunnies are now fully aware of the importance of eating protein at all life stages to grow, maintain and repair muscle, as well as it being a useful tool for satiety, keeping us fuller for longer than sugary snacks, for instance. Says Annette Peters, “We understand now, more than ever, that we have agency over our health and food has power – and that means we can control our ageing through diet and exercise. Older people understand they need to eat protein to maintain muscle mass and prevent muscle atrophy.” Ocado says searches for ‘High Protein’ are up more than threefold compared with this time last year and recent M&S research reveals over 70% of our customers are aware of a high protein diet and over a quarter are actively seeking high protein choices. We’ve added to our popular High Protein range with some delicious snacks, salads and meals as well as a High Protein Shot – perfect for after exercise. |
OUR HIGH PROTEIN HEROES
High Protein Shot £2.00 100ml This chocolate flavoured milk shot is packed with 10g of protein and only 63 kcals and is also a source of magnesium.
High Protein Strawberry Matcha Overnight Oats £3.00 200g Trendy matcha overnight oats topped with a strawberry high protein yogurt. 20g protein per pot. |
The trend for looking after our gut health isn’t going anywhere – in fact, it is only growing as we are finding out more about the huge influence our gut has on everything from our skin, brain and even our mood. In our recent survey, 63% were aware of it as a trend and over a quarter are actively looking for ways to support it. Our Good Gut range is hugely popular – searches for ‘Good Gut’ are up more than 400% since this time last year on Ocado! – and as science and knowledge evolve, so has the Good Gut range. We have 16 new or upgraded products to make eating for a healthy gut even easier and more delicious. Excitingly, our Good Gut flavoured kefir drinks and yogurts contain our new, unique to M&S TriMarks™ Blend. The TriMarks™ Blend M&S TriMarks is a unique blend, specifically formulated to combine fibre, live cultures, and Plenibiotic to support gut health, helping you thrive from the inside out. The TriMarks™ blend can be found in all our flavoured kefir yogurts, drinks and shots, to make supporting your gut health as easy as it is delicious. |
LISTEN TO YOUR GUT WITH THESE M&S MUST HAVES
Good Gut Honey & Ginger Kefir Drink £2.90 500ml Honey & ginger kefir drink made with our unique TriMarks™ blend. Packed with billions of live cultures and a source of calcium and protein. Eat Well.
£10.00 for 6 6X150ml New and improved these shots have our unique to M&S TriMarks ™ blend and are made with more than 5 billion cultures from 14 different strains. Eat Well. |
In the UK, about half of consumers surveyed say they are looking for foods with “minimal ingredients” and “recognisable, natural ingredients”. (Innova Market Insights report, 2025). Although not a health brand, Only Ingredients aligns with a growing consumer trend toward minimal-ingredient diets, offering choice for those seeking transparency in what they eat. “Imagine you were making your favourite supermarket basics at home, with ingredients you know and trust,” says M&S Product Development Director Kathryn Turner. “That’s what we have done with our successful Only Ingredients range, and our customers love it so much that we have extended it and will continue to do so. We are bringing new versions of more everyday products to customers and their families, made with minimal ingredients and with the quality expected from M&S Food. “From our new Tomato Ketchup to Olive Oil Mayonnaise, Meatballs, Sliced White Toasting Bread and Bran Flakes, we have been working incredibly hard to pare the ingredients right back but keep the delicious, familiar flavours. “And watch this space for more! We have plans for fish fingers, baked beans, biscuits and more. The products so many people use on a regular basis, but a more stripped-back version than they might be eating.” |
MINIMAL INGREDIENTS – MAXIMUM TASTE
£4.50 250ml Only 6 ingredients olive oil mayonnaise Olive Oil, Egg Yolk, White Wine Vinegar, Water, Sea Salt, Dried Mustard
£2.50 300g Joining our successful cereals are these bran flakes. Made with only 3 ingredients – wholegrain wheat, barley malt extract, sea salt. |
So whatever your health goal is this January and beyond, M&S is here to help. Contrary to popular belief we’re not just for Christmas. Or just for that train sandwich, tinnie or special treat.
We’re actually the number one retailer for health*, AND quality tasting food****. So, we’re best placed to cut through the confusion and help support you and your family’s health and wellbeing this January and beyond.
Whether you just want to make a few simple healthy swaps, upgrade your lunch for something nutritious and tasty, get more fruit and veg in your diet, see the kids off with a healthy packed lunch or are signed up to a Hyrox or marathon – we have something for everyone.
Because this is not just food…. this is quality M&S delicious and nutritious food.
That happens to be healthy. And good for you.
It’s a win-win.
All products are available at your local Foodhall, and you can even check availability online using our Digital Food Catalogue online. You can also shop on Ocado.