We Eat Balanced continues to protect reputation of meat and dairy

An impressive nine out of ten consumers who saw the most recent We Eat Balanced TV advert agreed it successfully communicated that meat and dairy form part of a balanced diet.

Reaching a staggering 43 million adults, AHDB’s We Eat Balanced campaign ran in Autumn 2022 and January 2023, to drive awareness of the nutritional value that lean meat and dairy can add as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

And the campaign, which is now in its third year, showcased British produce as some of the most sustainable in the world.

In January, We Eat Balanced featured on mainstream TV/on Demand, YouTube, Newspapers, social media and in eight major supermarkets, where eight million on-pack stickers linked shoppers to healthy meat recipes.

AHDB’s Director of Marketing Liam Byrne said: “We Eat Balanced is designed to celebrate the positive role meat and dairy can play within a healthy, sustainable diet and dispel negative myths.

“At a time when consumers are facing huge pressures on their budgets, the campaign has played an important role in helping shine a spotlight on the nutritional value red meat and dairy can bring – especially micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and calcium, that we know are found in a more bioavailable form in animal sourced foods.”

Our social media campaign also delivered more than 41 million impressions, with new content targeting the next generation of consumers, aged between 18-25. More than 90% who saw We Eat Balanced on social platforms said they felt reassured that British meat and dairy are sustainable.

We Eat Balanced also had a positive impact on the perception of specific health benefits red meat and dairy can offer. Six per cent more people saw dairy as a good source of vitamin B12 after the campaign, supported by TV’s Dr Ranj Singh’s.

The campaign enlisted further help from Dr Emily Andre during Iron Awareness Week. This played an important role in highlighting that nearly half of young women in Britain are iron deficient, and the positive role red meat can play as part of a balanced diet.

Year-on-year, the campaign continues to reassure consumers about eating meat and dairy, with consumers more inclined to use the information to defend their choices. Conversations around meat and dairy have grown in positivity over the campaign.