Millennials are paving the way towards flavor and creativity when it comes to their food – and are open to the idea of natural fats. Labeling themselves as “foodies”, they are leading the charge in the food revolution. They follow healthy eating habits, eat out rather than cook at home, and look for the latest trends in the restaurant biz.

The millennial generation is well-versed, better educated, and will go the extra mile in what they perceive as the best value for their dollar. “Local”, “all natural”, “authentic”, and “premium” health buzz words influence their food buying decisions. Animal Fats bring authentic and natural flavors to the table – while providing a healthier option to other oils, and better transparency on how they’re produced. Millennials total nearly twenty-five perfect of our current population, and food companies must pay attention to their trends and demands in order to stay current and deliver creativity in the marketplace.

Just like fashion, music, and your everyday pop culture… food goes through its trends. While not all trends end up sticking, if you’re in the food business – it’s important to take note of these trends and adapt menus wherever possible. Trends in 2018 included snack foods, gourmet tacos,  meals offered in “bowls” ie: poke bowls, Mediterranean salad bowls, soups and stews offered in bread bowls… while these trends continue to stick, others like avocado toast slowly declined. While it’s not always easy to modify an entire menu, offering versions of these trending meals will help drive consumers through doors. Customization is also key! If you can provide that component to your everyday burger or French fry options to this massive generation of foodies – you win.

Millennials follow fad diets the promote health and a natural way of eating like Paleo, Keto, and Whole30. These primal type diets are on the rise largely due to this generation of young adults– believing that our bodies are best served eating the way our ancestors did: Plant based, high quality meats, natural saturated fats and whole fats as the main ingredient components. They’re redefining the word “health” to mean natural, locally sourced, green and sustainable rather than “low-fat”.

While low-fat diets are still being pushed by the American Heart Association – millennial’s also value responsibly sourced ingredients and transparency on how their food goes from farm to table. From nose to tail – using animal fats for oil helps lower the carbon footprint of the meat industry, by using the whole animal and reducing waste. Without this, nearly 12% of the cow would be unused. The processing of animal fats is also much cleaner and environmentally safe compared to vegetable and seed oil processing – and much less chemicals are needed to deliver a finished product.

At twenty-five percent of our total population, millennials will continue to drive food trends. Keeping up with these trends will be key to the restaurant, food service, and grocery industry’s successes.