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Food Values and Purchasing Habits of Healthy and Sustainable Products of the Millennial Generation Marissa Thiry, BS and Allison Charny, MSEd, RDN, CDE, CDN

Aramark Distance Learning Dietetic Internship 2014-2015, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic Member

Introduction

Results

Conclusion

Defining Generations

Contact information

73 participants 57 of them (78%) categorized in the Millennial generation (born between years 1980-1999)

16 participants (22%) belonged to other generations

Remaining three generations (Mature/Silents, Baby Boomers, and Generation X) will be grouped together as one cohort, classified as “Other Generations”

Field of dietetics must acknowledge these changes in generational preferences, and cater their education accordingly

Examine healthy and sustainable food trends and incorporate into counseling sessions with Millennials

Foodservice operations can innovate around products made with healthy and sustainable ingredients

Retail venues with Millennial clientele may benefit from increasing advertisement and communication to the consumer about their current products that fall into these categories

Understanding consumer preferences is crucial to maximizing sales and satisfaction

Offering consumers what they prefer and knowing how much they are willing to spend on the product is key to running a successful operation

Millennials on Health: Millennials value healthy food items more than other generations94% of Millennials either somewhat agree or strongly agree with the statement “It is important to me to buy healthy foods, when possible”, compared to 75% of other generations who somewhat or strongly agree 95% of Millennials are willing to pay extra money to ensure their food is healthy, compared to the 76% of other generations

Millennials on Sustainability: Millennials value sustainability more than other generations Other generations are more likely to pay extra money for sustainable foods than Millennials 87% of other generations either somewhat or strongly agree that they are willing to pay extra money to ensure their food products are sustainable, compared to 76% of Millennials 81% of other generations somewhat or strongly agree that if two similar food options were presented, they would choose the more sustainable option even at a higher price, compared to 58% of Millennials.

Methodology Cross-sectional study design

Examines descriptive data about one variable or a relationship between two variables

Used to measure the relationship between generation (age) purchasing habits and sustainability and health trends

Allows for further data collection in the future as generational trends evolve and the population ages

Exploratory only and does not examine the cause and effect of the generational trends 8

Convenience sample population by surveying via Facebook

Inclusion criteria : 18+ years of age

Qualitative data collected

Survey designed in Survey Monkey

Identified the birth year of the participant

Second question identified if the participant was currently working in the healthcare field

Five questions addressing sustainability trends and four questions addressing health trends of the participant

Questions regarding how much they value sustainability and health when purchasing foods, and how willing they are to pay more for sustainable and healthy products

Answer scale with four options: strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, and strongly disagree

Marissa Thiry , Aramark Dietetic InternEvanston Hospital 2650 Ridge AveEvanston, IL 60201

Telephone: 630-450-3242E-mail: thiry-marissa@aramark.com

Health and wellness trends fluctuated from generation to generation Arguably the most distinct features belong to the current cohort of individuals born between 1980 and the late 1990’s, known as the Millennial Generation1

Actively pursuing a healthier and more “holistic” lifestyleIncreased number of Millennial consumers shopping at local farmers markets, not only due to lower costs of produce, but also because these consumers value sustainability and ethical purchasing 2

A recent study surveyed a group of young adults purchasing from local farmers markets and analyzed the motives behind the consumers’ purchases. Results indicate the main reasons for shopping at farmers markets were to purchase sustainable, healthy, and ethical foods 3

Ethical consumerism is deemed one of the most valued characteristics of the Millennial generation3, 4

Defined as “choices based on social, nontraditional components of products and personal and moral beliefs”5 Global movement: fair trade, animal cruelty regulation, human rights, local economy and health/wellness 4, 6

Millennials paying more attention to the source of their food, how it got to the table, and how it is going to affect their health6

Recent study analyzed relationship between health literacy, self-efficacy, food label use, and diet in young Americans. Results indicate young adults are actively trying to improve their health by reading nutrition facts labels and those that are doing so are more likely to have a higher diet quality7

Objective

Present study aims to evaluate food motives and purchasing habits of the Millennial generation

Researchers hypothesize that Millennials are willing to pay a higher fee for products that are perceived as healthy and sustainable or ethically sourced than older generations

Discussion Aimed to analyze the willingness of Millennials to pay a higher price for perceived healthy foods and perceived sustainable foods compared to other generations

Researchers hypothesized that Millennials would be willing to pay more for perceived healthy and perceived sustainable foods than other generations

Results are inconsistent with hypothesis Millennials are more willing to pay extra for perceived healthy options than other generations, but less likely to pay extra for perceived sustainable food options

Millennials may have less spending money than other generations at this point in their lives, and that could have affected their answers regarding how much money they are willing to spend on certain foods

Generation Birth Year

Mature / Silents 1927-1945

Baby Boomers 1946-1964

Generation X 1965-1980

Generation Y / Millennials 1981-1999

Results (Continued)

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