The study by health information website Great Green Wall Health analyzed Google data to establish which US states are the keenest on healthy eating by calculating what each US state is searching for from a list of the 115 most common healthy eating searches, ranging from “healthy dinner recipes” to “healthy food near me”.
- Colorado
Colorado is the number one state in the US for residents keenest on wanting to eat healthy, with a monthly average of 2,114 healthy eating searches for every 100,000 people. The city offers a healthy community, culture and marketplaces. It beats second place to the top spot by registering 9.7% more monthly searches. According to World Population Review, Colorado has the third lowest adult obesity rate in the US.
- Arizona
Arizona is at number two for the state keenest to eat healthy. The state’s population of 7,359,197 people registers an average of 140,558 searches each month for healthy eating, which equates to 19,010 searches per 100,000 people – the second-highest ratio in the US.
- Utah
In third place is Utah, with an average of 1,831 searches per 100,000 people. Utah has one of the lowest rates of child obesity, according to data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
- Texas
Number four is Texas, with 1,822 average monthly searches per 100,000 people. Texas is home to many healthy food Instagram influencers, such as @cookinwithmima, which has 2 million followers and is based in Dallas and @onebalancedlife, which has 227,000 followers and is based in Austin.
- New York
New York is close behind in fifth place with 1,803 average searches a month per 100,000 people. New York’s most significant searches were for ‘healthy food near me’ with 33,425 searches and ‘healthy restaurants’ with 27,692 searches a month on average from the city’s estimated population of 19,677,151. However, New Yorkers seem less keen on having takeout delivered being healthy as their lowest healthy food-related search term is ‘healthy fast food near me’.
- Massachusetts
At number six is Massachusetts, with an average of 1,800 monthly searches per 100,000 people for the healthiest eaters. Boston is the home to healthy Instagram influencer @twist_of_lemons, who has 111,000 followers and who likes to post about easy recipes and realistic health.
- Florida
Florida is at number seven, with 1,789 average monthly searches for every 100,000 people in the city. Florida’s least searched for healthy eating terms consisted of ‘how to eat healthy’, ‘easy healthy lunch’ ideas’ and ‘healthy chicken salad recipe’.
- Nevada
Landing at number eight is Nevada, with 1,782 searches a month on average for every 100,000 residents, only slightly behind Florida. There are 69 restaurants categorized as healthy in Las Vegas, according to TripAdvisor.
- California
In ninth place is California, with an average of 1,703 monthly searches for every 100,000 people. California is home to many health influencers, such as TikTok star @violet.cooks, who shares healthy recipes and lifestyle with her 2.1 million followers and is based in San Francisco. She shares various recipes, from easy lunches to salads and soups.
- Virginia
Finally, in tenth place is Virgina, which has 1,639 monthly searches for every 100,000. According to Virginia Farmers Market Association, there are 360 Farmers and Artisan Markets across the state with the message of increasing access to fresh, healthy food.
On the opposite end of the scale, the research also revealed the top three US States least obsessed with healthy eating:
Mississippi has ranked as the least keen on eating healthy, as their searches only amount to 914 monthly searches per 100,000 people. Residents of the healthy eating state Colorado are Googling healthy eating terms 176% more than Mississippi residents.
West Virginia comes in at second last for the state least keen on healthy eating as their Google searches come to 958 searches a month per 100,000 people. Colorado’s healthy eating residents are searching for healthier eating habits more than double those in West Virginia.
In third last place is Alaska, with 1,008 searches a month per 100,000 people for healthy eating. According to the Alaska Department of Health, about two out of three adults are classed as overweight or obese.
A spokesperson for Great Green Wall Health commented on the findings: “Every month in the US, there are millions of searches related to healthy eating. This research offers a fascinating insight into what states these Google searches are predominantly coming from and highlights where in the US is making a move in eating healthier.
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36.6% of Americans consume fast food regularly. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with fast food in moderation, it is important to balance it with a healthy and active lifestyle. Seeking more nutritious recipes or ways to eat healthier is a significant first step to improving physical health and mental well-being.”
Great Green Wall – Growing a Healthy Wonder - Great Green Wall
