Waitrose has reported a rise in sales of healthier and more unusual ingredients, as consumers detox from the festive period and due to inspiration from a host of recently-launched ‘clean eating’ cookbooks.

Sales of medjool date (recommended as an alternative to sweets due to their caramel-like flavour) are up 16% at Waitrose, while cacao bars are up 37%. Meanwhile, sales of avocado are up 19%, while coconut milk yogurts have seen a rise of 33%.

Customers are also increasingly replacing normal flour for gluten-free alternatives, with sales of Doves Farm gluten-free flour up 15% and rice flour up 13%. And in meat, sales of venison – known as a lean, low fat alternative to steak – are up 67%.

Jonathan Moore, Waitrose Executive Chef, says: “Interest in food and drink that’s good for you has officially hit the mainstream, thanks to great-tasting alternatives and inspiration from a new generation of foodies who are changing the way we eat. It’s great to see customers increasingly enjoying foods that we’ve known for some time are good for you and using them in different ways – we can only see this as a trend that’s set to continue.”