Webinar Snapshot: Highlights from The Real Story of Whole Nutrition

Angie Goldberg Chief Growth Officer, Ardent Mills	Erin Ball Executive Director, Grain Foods Foundation	Kevin Ryan CEO, Malachite Strategy

There’s no shortage of chatter surrounding the latest eating and nutrition trends. From the rise of GLP-1-friendly foods to the growing conversation around ultra-processed foods (UPFs), consumers are being flooded with new food choices and fast fixes to address their health and wellness priorities. 

While these trends reflect a shift for consumers, they also prompt a critical question for food brands and manufacturers to consider: What are consumers really hungry for? 

It’s a question that invites a look that goes deeper than the surface of these trends to uncover consumers’ true motivations. And that’s exactly what food experts gathered recently to discuss: How to deliver holistic nutrition through consistent and familiar ingredients like grains and pulses.

“Although there’s no one answer when it comes to what defines perfect nutrition or great health, lots of consumers and industry professionals are talking about GLP-1s, trying to understand ultra-processed foods, or looking for cleaner ingredients without understanding the bigger picture,” Kevin Ryan, CEO of Malachite Strategy, author of the Foodstuff Newsletter, and host of the Three Squares podcast, pointed out to kick off the discussion.

In this recent Ardent Mills-sponsored Food Dive conversation, The Real Story of Whole Nutrition: It’s About More than UPFs, GLP-1s and Clean Labels, Ardent Mills came together with Ryan and the Grain Foods Foundation to discuss:
●    Industry barriers to whole nutrition, rapidly evolving consumer information and the need for a unified approach
●    How grains and pulses can serve as the bedrock for whole nutrition and help consumers feel good about the choices they make
●    Action steps to help brands and manufacturers educate and better serve consumers

Rethinking Nutrition Requires Pushing Past Siloed Trends
When it comes to the concept of nutrition, it’s difficult to draw clear lines. There’s no singular definition of what it means or how to achieve healthy eating. To make real progress, it’s critical to move beyond isolated eating trends and industry disruptors and instead think about how they connect to and uncover the real priority: better health, wellness and whole nutrition. 

Thinking around disruptors like “clean” labels, GLP-1-friendly foods and UPFs should shift, treating them not as challenges but as opportunities to reshape the future of food through whole nutrition. Manufacturers need to prepare to lead this change instead of relying on quick wins and short-term strategies that lack long-term staying power. 

“In a recent consumer study,* we found that people do want to make the right food choices,” said Angie Goldberg, chief growth officer at Ardent Mills, during the discussion. “In the last year, for example, more than 70% of consumers have changed their eating habits to improve overall health and wellbeing, and they want to eat food they can trust. We continue to see those numbers tick up.”

This puts the onus squarely on brands and manufacturers to step up and deliver solutions that support lasting health and cultivate consumer confidence.

Building Better Health with Grains and Pulses
With so many paths to follow to help consumers improve health, it can be difficult for brands to determine where to focus. But there’s one foundational approach they must consider if they want to fill nutritional gaps and anticipate emerging behaviors, Grain Foods Foundation Executive Director Erin Ball pointed out: The important role grains can play.

“As brands chase those headlines, they might be missing an opportunity or neglecting something foundational that speaks to this moment,” she explained. “Grains are a platform manufacturers can leap from to answer the consumer’s desire for better health as they eat delicious, nutritious food.”

Goldberg added that in addition to grains, pulses — like chickpeas — are also a smart ingredient solution that delivers the same benefits. Grains and pulses are beneficial because they can be:
●    A good source of fiber and plant-based protein
●    Rich in micronutrients 
●    Appreciated for their taste and texture
●    Foundational and versatile 
●    Considered to have sustainable characteristics  
●    Affordable

What’s Stopping Innovation? Losing Sight of the Bigger Picture
Confusion and consistency make it difficult to drive progress. For example, the industry is battling mixed messages and ambiguity. One example: UPFs.

In Ardent Mills’ survey, 72% of consumers said they are familiar with “UPF” as a term, but only 20% have a deep familiarity with it, Goldberg pointed out. 

Why the disconnect? Likely because the industry hasn’t established clear standards for UPFs. Even the scientific community can’t agree on a definition (or whether it’s a useful category to rely on to improve nutrition and health). 

With uncertainty swirling, brands are presented with a unique chance to pivot the conversation away from fast-moving trends and toward what’s real and true about the products they make. 

“To cut through the noise, focus on that umbrella of wholesome nutrition and find ways to help the consumers navigate the products that make up your brand or portfolio,” Goldberg advised.

Building Confidence in Nutrition
Ingredients can play a powerful role in driving product purchases, and it’s time for brands to use grains and nutrition as a vehicle to push the concept of whole nutrition forward.

“Grains check all the boxes,” Goldberg explained. “They’re not only nutrient dense but also affordable. While consumers continue to want to incorporate healthy foods into their diets, taste remains king. In our recent survey*, more than 70% of consumers said they enjoy the experience of eating grains. Nearly all American households have bread, cereal, pasta, or crackers in the house. They support consumers on GLP-1 diets, address concerns around ultra-processed foods and enable cleaner labels.”

As all three discussed, this can be done through:
●    Educating consumers through on-pack messaging that emphasizes the value of traditional, delicious and nutrient-dense ingredients over food trends
●    Dedicating more time to discussions about affordable foods and ingredients, accessible nutrition and great taste 
●    Building partnerships with suppliers that can support these types of conversations
●    Rethinking product strategies to align with long-term consumer health goals

“Don’t ride the waves of every trend and feel like you need to address each one individually,” Ball told brands during the webinar. “Return to some of the messages regarding whole nutrition to help consumers feel confident about the choices they make in terms of the food that nourishes them and the people they love.”

Will your brand be part of the movement toward whole nutrition?

Watch the Discussion Now
https://webinars.on24.com/studioID/RealStoryofWholeNutrition?partnerref=ArdentMills 

*Ardent Mills proprietary research, 2025