Arla has called on the food industry, government, retailers and health professionals to help close Britain’s “nutrition gap”, after new research found millions of consumers are struggling to get the nutrients they need despite eating enough calories.

The dairy cooperative said the UK is facing a “hidden nutrition crisis”, with consumers increasingly aware of healthy eating but often unable to act on it because of cost, confusion, convenience and access.

The findings come from Arla’s new Plate of the Nation report, an annual initiative combining consumer research with a review of national nutrition data compiled by the British Nutrition Foundation.

A YouGov survey of 5,000 adults and 800 children found that 79 per cent of people say healthy eating is important, yet only 53 per cent say they eat healthily most of the time.

Although 75 per cent of adults said they understand which foods are healthy, just 37 per cent said eating a healthy diet is easy.

Arla said the research showed how everyday pressures were making healthier choices harder. A third of adults cited convenience as a barrier, saying unhealthy food is simply easier, while 31 per cent said healthy food is too expensive. Almost a quarter said unhealthy food tastes better.

Taste was an even greater factor among children, with 98 per cent saying they want to eat food that tastes nice and 45 per cent saying their favourite foods are not healthy.

The report also found that 22 per cent of adults admitted they do not care much about what is in their food as long as it tastes good, rising to 30 per cent among Gen Z and 25 per cent among C2DE households.

Arla warned that teenage girls are among the groups most at risk from low intakes of key nutrients during important development years.

Nearly one in five teenage girls are not getting enough calcium during peak bone-building years, while 29 per cent of girls aged 11 to 18 are consuming less iodine than recommended.

The cooperative said the findings pointed to long-term health risks, with nutritional shortfalls during the teenage years potentially creating consequences later in life.

The report also highlights the unequal cost of eating well. According to Arla, the most deprived households would need to spend around half of their disposable income to meet government-recommended dietary guidelines. For families with children in the most deprived households, that figure rises to 85 per cent.

Within C2DE households, only 48 per cent said they eat healthily most of the time, compared with 56 per cent among the most affluent group.

Arla Foods UK managing director Bas Padberg said healthy diets should be available to everyone, but the research showed consumers were facing structural barriers.

“This research shows a nation that understands the problem but faces structural barriers – convenience, confusion, cost and taste – that make healthy eating feel harder,” he said.

“For decades, the conversation around food has focused on what to avoid – things like sugar, salt and fat. And whilst we know that’s a public health crisis we have to address, it’s also time to look at how we can help people see what they should be eating and change the conversation around our food.

“Closing the nutrition gap is bigger than any one company or any one policy. We need to change the environment people are navigating every day. It will take businesses, government, educators, health professionals and communities working together.”

British Nutrition Foundation chief executive Elaine Hindal said the report highlighted a growing nutrition gap in the UK, where people were consuming enough calories but not enough of the nutrients needed to support good health.

“Poor diet is now a leading contributor to preventable ill health, particularly affecting young people and those in more disadvantaged communities,” she said.

“Closing this gap will require action across the whole food system. Clear, evidence-based information, alongside supportive food environments, is essential to help people make healthier choices in their everyday lives.”

In response to the findings, Arla is calling for action across food literacy, food culture and food access.

The cooperative said this means providing clearer and more trusted information, making good nutrition feel desirable and ensuring nutritious food is within reach for more households.

Arla said it will review its own on-pack labelling to explore how it can better highlight positive nutrition and help shoppers understand what their bodies need, rather than only what they should cut back on.

The dairy giant will also launch a school outreach programme, with the aim of reaching 250,000 children and teenagers by the end of 2027 with information and education around healthy, nutritious food.

It has also pledged to donate four million meals over the next year through impact partnerships, including its work with Magic Breakfast and Felix, as part of a wider effort to improve access to nutritious food for children and families.

Padberg added that Arla wanted to work with partners across the food system to build a healthier and fairer approach to nutrition.

“We want to open the door to partners who share our ambition to build a healthier, fairer food system, one that serves people, strengthens communities and delivers lasting change,” he said.

“This is a long-term commitment, and we’re determined to play our part.”

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