Americans are shifting their eating patterns. Or are they? While U.S. consumers are incorporating more vegetables into their diets and keeping a close eye on their sugar intake, they are also indulging in snacks. Both the healthy and unhealthy food markets are seeing gains.
Bloomberg reported that unhealthy snacks, such as the Twinkie, as well as health foods like kale have seen a rise in popularity. Hostess, which created the Twinkie, believes that Millennials are fueling this balancing act.
”For as much as millennials bring us challenges, they also have a belief that you only live once and you should enjoy yourself,” said CEO of Hostess, Bill Toler to the publication. “They believe in a license to indulge.”
Nielsen noted that Millennials spend more than $65 billion each year overall. Their purchasing power makes companies eager to find what makes them tick.
Food producers, both at the retail level as well as the restaurant level, have found inventive ways to incorporate these two trends. Some restaurants offer homemade versions of Twinkies alongside locally sourced salads using fresh ingredients. Millennials are happy to have both.
