The main changes reported relate to snacking, home cooking, access to food, and weight. To improve their daily diet, many resources are available, and the French turned to them during lockdown: the website mangerbouger.fr saw a 60% increase in traffic compared to 2019.

A clear impact of lockdown on eating habits

Less balanced diets, more snacking, more home cooking… lockdown has changed eating habits. According to the results of the CoviPrev survey:

• 17% of respondents consider their diet to be less balanced than before lockdown (compared to 13% reporting a more balanced diet than usual);

• 22% report snacking between meals more than usual (compared to 17% who snack less than usual);

• 37% of respondents say they cook homemade meals more often than usual (compared to 4% who cook less often than usual);

• 27% report having gained weight (compared to 11% who have lost weight).

The trend toward snacking and weight gain has intensified over the course of the lockdown, with 27% of respondents reporting that they snack between meals more than usual in early May (vs. 22% in mid-April) and 36% reporting that they have gained weight (vs. 27% in mid-April).

At the same time, respondents are experiencing supply issues and paying closer attention to their food budget:

• 57% report having a harder time than usual finding the foods they want in stores

• 23% are paying more attention than usual to their food budget.

These trends particularly affected people under 40, families with children under 16, people in very difficult financial situations, and people experiencing high levels of anxiety and depression as well as significant sleep problems.

Insights into these trends: the ViQuoP study

During the lockdown, Santé publique France also conducted a qualitative study with an online community. Their responses shed light on these behaviors:

• Cooking more can be explained by the time available and the fact that all household members are present for every meal;

• the strong tendency toward snacking may help alleviate boredom and stress related to lockdown and the pandemic.

• difficulties in obtaining food are linked both to shortages of certain items and to the difficulty of finding affordable food.

A need for reliable information about diet and shopping

By combining informative and practical content, the mangerbouger.fr website developed by Santé publique France is a reliable source of information.
It features several sections on “eating better” and “getting more exercise,” and highlights recommendations for adopting a more balanced lifestyle (infographic).

In fact, the French have embraced this site, as evidenced by record-breaking traffic during the lockdown, with an overall 60% increase in traffic compared to the same period in 2019.
The most visited pages during the lockdown period were the recipe pages—with traffic nearly tripling during the lockdown compared to normal 2019 levels—physical activity exercises, and articles dedicated to COVID-19.

The Nutri-Score nutritional label, found on the packaging of certain food products, is also a useful tool for consumers. Simple, clear, and easy to understand, it allows them to compare products at a glance and make choices that favor foods with better nutritional quality.