Millennials are currently the spotlight generation, which means that whatever’s trending, it cannot trend without the millennials. But, who are they? Is the mere fact that they are young adult people born in the early 80s enough to put them on top of today’s popularity lists? It seems so. They will soon comprise the largest percentage of the population with the buying power, so their habits, interests and whims are now in the focus of every company trying to sell something. That, combined with the power of social media and other networking services, is resulting in a huge amount of information online about what millennials like to eat, read, do and think. Spontaneously and without really being asked, they are becoming quite an influence on the choices of others in all spheres of life.
When it comes to nutrition, millennials want to engage and have a valuable experience with food, not just merely eat it. In order to fully enjoy food and pay attention to proper nutrition, they consult friends, family and healthcare professionals, but they also look for alternative sources of food related information. It’s interesting to note that millennials are more influenced by YouTube stars and their culinary channels and videos, than by traditional celebrities. They spend a lot of time following food blogs such as Serious Eats and Food and Wine, and celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver, Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay, etc.
Millennials see food as an adventure and they want to try out new restaurants, photograph new dishes and engage with others using food as the main topic. They use social media to connect, express their unique eating experiences, follow food influencers, and even localize food trucks because more than any other venue, food trucks are able to personalize their diet.
Unlike previous generations, millennials are reading food and restaurant reviews, and more importantly, they are studying food labels. This intense focus on food combined with dependency on technology makes millennials a powerful force that is changing the culinary scene today. Let’s take a look to see how the food environment changed in recent years, and how the millennials are accountable for this shift.
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