Young American Family Trends Present “Lucrative Opportunities” For Food Industry

According to food industry trend analyst A. Elizabeth Sloan, who surveyed recent market studies, today’s American families are ethnically diverse, strapped for cash and more concerned about health issues. These facts are having a profound impact on cooking patterns and dining out preferences that signal “lucrative market opportunities,” Sloan says. For example, the more children there are in a household, the more likely its members are to cook at home, use prepackaged foods and limit restaurant visits. Gen X (ages 35-44) and Gen Y (ages 18-34) parents prefer freshness, cleaner labels and minimally processed foods. A third of families with children hover at the federal poverty line and need affordable family meals. And parents want kids’ snacks to come in controlled portions with lower fat and fewer calories and include more nutrients.