What are the key Spanish food trends? Summary
- Spanish consumers prioritise naturalness and healthier choices driven by ingredient awareness
- Demand grows for convenient ready meals offering flavours and simpler formulations
- High protein interest rises across demographics with notable growth since 2023
- GLP‑1 weight loss drugs show low influence and limited uptake
- Meat reduction increases as plant‑based trends surge across Spanish social platforms
In Spain, consumers are tapped into many of the broad macro-trends that are spurring on the food industry globally.
Some, they are embracing. Some, they remain sceptical about.
1. Naturalness and health are purchase drivers
Consumers in Spain are prioritising both healthy eating and ‘naturalness’, explains Jimena Ávila Martín, senior research analyst at analytics company Mintel.
Spanish consumers are increasingly prioritising naturalness, with 42% citing it as a top factor in purchasing decisions. They are increasingly sensitive to ingredient lists.
Furthermore, 45% “feel guilty” when consuming ultra-processed foods.
“This combination is pushing brands to deliver products that feel both nutritionally improved and minimally processed, using short, recognisable ingredients and avoiding formulations that appear artificial or overly engineered.”
Functional foods are seeing particular popularity, says Liseth Galvis, senior consultant for analytics company Euromonitor. Products supporting gut health, such as kefir and functional yoghurts, are gaining particular relevance.
“Add to this fresh foods, including eggs, vegetables, nuts and pulses, remain resilient, benefiting from strong associations with naturalness and wellbeing.”
According to AI-driven analytics platform Tastewise, traditional Spanish dishes like paella and tortilla are seeing strong growth.
2. Convenience
On the other hand, Spanish consumers are also drawn towards convenience, and ready meals in particular.
“Ready meals are growing as busy consumers in Spain seek quick solutions without losing traditional flavours,” says Mintel’s Martín. “Shoppers now expect freshly prepared, in‑store options and flexible portion sizes tailored to different moments, including snacking“.
Interest in ready meals supported a 5.9% sales bump in 2024.
“Convenience has become the dominant behavioural shift, driven by fast‑paced lifestyles, shrinking household sizes, and urban living“, says Euromonitor’s Galvis.
An ‘opportunity for innovation’, Mintel’s Martín says, is ready meals that combine convenience with simple ingredients. Many consumers value ready meals but currently see them as ultra-processed. Taste and nutritional value are still associated with home cooking.
3. High protein
As elsewhere in Europe, the high protein trend has seen popularity in Spain.
The proportion of Spanish consumers who cited high protein as a top factor when shopping rose from 16% in March 2023 to 21% in September 2025, according to Mintel. While the highest interest has been seen in young adults, interest is growing across all demographics.
The trend “continues to gain momentum across generations and meal occasions“, says Martín.
Spain has shown a recent acceleration in the area of high protein, suggests Euromonitor’s Galvis. “Spain is quickly progressing as protein moves from specialised uses to mainstream health and treats.“
In particular, high-protein dairy and protein bars have seen strong growth, and high protein offerings may even extend into ice cream.
4. Consumers are shifting away from meat
Spain has seen a considerable shift away from meat. According to Mintel, 46% of meat-eating consumers have already limited their meat consumption, compared to 54% who haven’t.
Meanwhile, of those who haven’t yet reduced meat consumption, 20% are considering doing so.
While around 59% of consumers believe that eating meat is ‘outdated’ in modern diets, 57% believe that there is a lot of pressure in modern times not to eat meat.
Consumption of red meat, particularly fresh beef and veal, has seen a decline, according to Euromonitor’s Galvis, due to concerns about health as well as a preference for convenience and value. Meanwhile, poultry and pork are increasingly incorporated into everyday meals due to affordability and ease of preparation.
Spain is having an “explosive plant-based moment”, according to Tastewise. Vegetarian and vegan diets are seeing massive engagement on social media.
Nevertheless, plant-based faces strong headwinds due to association with ultra-processing, points out Euromonitor’s Galvis. The shift is “that Spain’s shift is predominantly flexitarian rather than vegan-led”, with 4.6% identifying as flexitarian but 3.7% as vegan in 2025.
5. Limited impact of GLP-1s
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have started to influence the Spanish food landscape, suggests Martín, but their impact is currently limited.
“Consumer interest in GLP‑1 medications for weight loss is relatively low in Spain compared to other markets, influenced by their high cost and limited coverage by the SNS”, Spain’s health service.
As of 2025, only 6% of adult Spanish consumers agreed that the use of diabetes drugs to suppress appetite was a good solution for weight loss, although 37% expressed curiosity in how these drugs could be used to help with their own weight management.
Such figures are among the lowest in Europe and globally, says Martín, indicating a general scepticism towards the drugs among Spanish consumers.
