The Influence of U.S. Millennial Hispanics on Food

U.S. Hispanic Millenials honor their heritage during mealtimes at home and away, according to a new report. Sixty-five percent of U.S. Hispanics are Millennials, ages 22 to 35, and significantly influence the ethnic group’s overall eating attitudes and behaviors, according to The NPD Group, a global information company. 

“U.S. Hispanics are youthful and therefore represent future opportunities for food and beverage marketers, especially now that their population growth is coming more from births than immigration,” says Darren Seifer, NPD food and beverage industry analyst.

Members of this growing group display a preference for Hispanic dishes that reflect their heritage, according to NPD’s NET (National Eating Trends) Hispanic research, which captures in-home and away-from-home food and beverage consumption habits of U.S. Hispanics.

Hispanic Millennials eat fewer sandwiches than their non-Hispanic peers, the research finds. Sandwiches are included in 16 percent of non-Hispanic Millennial meals and just 10 percent of Hispanic Millennial meals. Rice, a popular U.S. Hispanic food, is included in only 3 percent of non-Hispanic Millennial meals.

Hispanic dishes (excluding frozen) are included in seven percent of all meals consumed by Hispanic Millennials compared to two percent of non-Hispanic Millennial meals. 

Ready-to-eat, fresh, and from scratch are the most common food forms during Hispanic meal preparation, NET Hispanic finds.

The research finds that Hispanic heritage plays an important role in food preparation for this group. For example, stove-top preparation dominates Hispanic meals more than non-Hispanic meals due to the types of dishes being prepared, especially at lunch when Hispanics typically prepare large meals. U.S. Hispanics are much less likely to microwave.  

 “Understanding which product categories appeal to each Hispanic consumer group will be critical to effectively connecting with these consumers and understanding the situations and motivations that drive category consumption will enable food companies to influence future sales to these groups,” Seifer says.

For more information or to buy the report, go to http://www.npd.com/