Fresh is best for Gen Z and Millennials

Fresh is best - at least for younger generations. From 2003 to 2013, consumption of fresh foods grew by 20% to more than 100 billion eating occasions, driven predominantly by younger generations, according to a report from The NPD Group.

The report, The Future of Eating: Who’s Eating What in 2018?, predicts that breakfast, lunch and dinner will get even fresher in the next five years.

Breakfast will see the biggest growth in fresh food eatings, with an increase of 9% by 2018. Fresh food consumption will grow 7% at lunch and 5% at dinner.

According to the report, Millennial and older Generation Z consumers don’t mind the additional preparation and cooking associated with fresh foods as they want to be more involved in preparing their meals.

Snacking will also change for the fresher in the next five years, the report predicts. Again, younger consumers are looking for freshness and nutrition when looking to eat on the go.

In addition to eating fresh, Gen Z and Millennial consumers also want more organic foods. Several trends indicate that interest in organic labels remains strong among younger generations but drops off dramatically after Gen Z and Millennials. The report authors suggest that economic pressures, plus the idea that “it’s too late for me” may contribute to the reduced interest among older generations.

“Generation Z and Millennials are driving changes in this country’s eating behaviours with their approach to food choice and preparation,” said Darren Seifer, NPD food and beverage industry analyst.

“Foods on the store’s perimeter will benefit from this increasing interest in fresh, and manufacturers of centre-of-store items and retailers can take advantage of the ‘fresh’ trend by considering innovative ways to link their products to fresh foods.”