[The Rise of K-Ready Meals]②Seeking a Healthy Meal... HMR Driven by the Healthy Pleasure Trend

Beyond Convenience to Health Management
New Lineups Emerge Following "Healthy Pleasure" and "Slow Aging" Trends

The Home Meal Replacement (HMR) market is expanding beyond simple convenience to become part of everyday dining, drawing attention to products that offer both quality and health benefits. These products have reduced calories and sugar while enhancing nutrients such as protein and dietary fiber. In particular, the pursuit of both health and enjoyment, known as the "healthy pleasure" trend, and the "slow aging" trend, which focuses on aging slowly, are driving companies to improve existing products and introduce a series of new lineups.

According to the food industry on May 29, Daesang recently launched four new products in its low-sugar ready meal line, "Grainbow." First introduced in September 2023, Grainbow is a product whose name combines "grain" and "rainbow," and is characterized by offering both taste and nutrition in a single bowl based on whole grains.

Lotte Wellfood's Health & Wellness Ready Meal Brand 'Siksairon' Lineup. Lotte Wellfood

Lotte Wellfood has also launched the ready meal brand "Siksairon" with the goal of promoting healthy eating habits. The brand is organized around categories that allow consumers accustomed to dining out or food delivery to appreciate the value of healthy and delicious home-cooked meals. Ottogi launched its "Gapunhan Kki" brand in January last year. Currently, Gapunhan Kki is expanding its lineup to include products that are easy to manage for low-calorie diets, small-portion products for light enjoyment, high-protein options, and everyday healthy ready meals focused on specific nutrients.

Single meals with a focus on health are rapidly expanding as middle-aged and older consumers in their 50s and above increasingly purchase ready meals. In the early days of ready meal development, the focus was on convenience in cooking and storage for one- or two-person households, with products like cup rice, instant rice, and frozen foods. However, as demand has grown among middle-aged and older consumers concerned with health management, there has been an increase in low-sodium, low-sugar, high-protein, and vegetable-centered menu options. With the popularity of slow aging, interest in anti-aging is rising among people in their 20s and 30s, and as their involvement in health management increases, the paradigm of the HMR market is shifting.

Ottogi 'Gapunhan Kki' lineup. Ottogi

The rapid expansion of the protein beverage market is occurring in a similar context. According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), the domestic protein market, which was worth 81.3 billion won in 2018, grew to 450 billion won in 2023, about a sixfold increase. It is expected to expand further to 800 billion won by 2026. This growth is driven by people in their 20s and 30s consuming protein drinks as meal replacements for breakfast, as well as middle-aged and older consumers increasingly using protein beverages as an alternative to meat.

As a result, the food industry is continuously introducing high-protein beverages. Namyang Dairy Products has launched "Take Fit Monster," which contains 43g of protein. Maeil Dairies is expanding its "Selex Protein" series. Orion introduced "Dr. You PRO Protein Drink 40g Choco" in July last year, which contains 40g of protein per bottle while minimizing sugar content. Since last year, the convenience store CU, operated by BGF Retail, has been selling protein shake products in portable and easy-to-drink pouch forms.

An industry official stated, "We are introducing a variety of products that reinterpret traditional foods and healthy ready meals to meet the demands of consumers who want convenient cooking and healthy eating," adding, "Intense competition will continue in the premium HMR market, not only with 'low spec' products that reduce calories and fat while maintaining taste, but also with customized meal products."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.