According to Maru/Matchbox, Toronto, sustainable products that were once considered premium are being pushed into the mainstream as consumers become more invested in the environmental and humanitarian implications of their food choices.

Milk, cheese and eggs are dietary staples. In the U.S., on average, we consume 36.6 pounds of cheese, 268 eggs and 18 gallons of milk per person each year, according to the USDA Economic Research Service. From 2014–16, the consumption of eggs grew 1.9 percent and the consumption of cheese grew almost 6.5 percent.

Sustainability—the efforts to be environmentally friendly and good stewards of the earth—is important not just among consumers, but for corporate entities, as well. While many consumers regularly make personal choices that reflect their environmental focus, they expect the companies that they patronize to do the same.

In a report released last year, market research firm Euromonitor International examined the meal replacement segment, including snack and nutritional bars. What they found was that the space is in a state of transformation.

March marks National Nutrition Month and offers an opportunity to explore the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and USDA’s newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015–2020

The report reveals the consumer packaged goods industry struggled in 2015 and makes predictions for growth in 2016.