40% Experience Summer Appetite Loss; Demand Rises for Both 'Refreshing' and 'Stamina' Meals

Wellness Dining Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sumida-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Tetsuhiro Nakamoto) conducted a 'Survey on Summer Meals' targeting 300 men and women nationwide. The results showed that approximately 40% (44.4%) responded that they 'lose their appetite in summer.' Furthermore, essential elements sought in meals included 'refreshing taste' and 'ease of eating,' along with 'stamina' and 'nutritional balance,' highlighting a dual need for lightness and satisfaction.

Specific popular dishes included stamina-building items like 'fried chicken' and 'eel,' while seasonings like 'grated radish with ponzu' and 'lemon/citrus' were highly supported.

### Survey Summary - 44.4% experience appetite loss in summer. - The top concern for summer meals is 'reluctance to cook using heat' (45.0%). - Burdens like 'not wanting to stand in the kitchen' (30.3%) were also high. - Expectations for summer lunch boxes are 'refreshing' (45.3%) and 'easy to eat' (36.7%). - 'Nutritional balance' (30.3%) and 'stamina' (27.7%) are also prioritized. - Popular dishes include 'fried chicken,' 'rolled omelet,' and 'grilled eel.' - Popular seasonings are 'grated radish/ponzu' (58.3%) and 'lemon/citrus' (48.0%).

### Appetite Loss in Summer 12.7% said it happens 'often' and 31.7% said 'sometimes,' totaling 44.4%. However, over half reported 'not really' or 'not at all,' suggesting appetite loss is an issue with significant individual differences.

### Challenges in Summer Cooking The #1 challenge was 'reluctance to cook using heat' (45.0%), followed by 'not wanting to stand in the kitchen' (30.3%) and 'difficulty managing ingredients' (28.3%). It is clear that the 'burden of preparation and heat-related stress' is a bigger bottleneck than appetite itself.

### Needs for Summer Lunch Boxes While 'refreshing' and 'easy to eat' are top priorities, a significant number of people also value 'nutritional balance' and 'stamina,' indicating that simple lightness is not enough to satisfy consumers.

### Popular Dishes and Seasonings Top lunch box items were 'fried chicken' (35.3%), 'rolled omelet' (33.7%), and 'grilled eel' (31.7%). For seasonings, while refreshing tastes led the way, appetite-stimulating flavors like 'garlic soy sauce' (27.7%) and 'curry' (26.7%) also received steady support.

### Conclusion The survey reveals that in summer, the hurdle for 'preparing' meals has become higher than for 'eating' them. The key to summer meal choices is how to balance elements like being refreshing, convenient, nutritious, and stamina-boosting.

A registered dietitian suggests that the secret to maintaining healthy summer eating habits is 'not to overstrain' and 'to adopt easy-to-implement formats.'