Tracking Trends in the Food and Beverage Industry
The food and beverage industry continues to navigate a complex landscape as constantly evolving macro forces — from concerns about the broader economy to the future of work — shape daily choices around eating and drinking. Leaders in food and beverage must stay informed on consumers’ changing attitudes and behaviors around grocery shopping, cooking and dining out.
Morning Consult is tracking consumer trends in the food and beverage industry through a monthly survey of U.S. adults.
Find a more detailed methodology for this tracker below.
Key Takeaways
The cost of meat and produce remain most concerning to consumers. Food inflation moderated in December, but consumers are still expressing heightened concern about the costs of groceries, especially meat and produce. Nearly half (48%) of consumers said they’re “very concerned” about the cost of meat in December, the highest of any grocery category.
Gen Zers are experimenting with new recipes. 4 in 10 Gen Z adults said they tried a new recipe for the first time in December, the highest of any generation surveyed. This appetite for novelness is consistent with other behaviors like Gen Zers’ seeking out new-to-them foods and beverages more so than their older counterparts.
Healthier food and beverage choices are becoming more of a priority. Consumers across generations are focusing on making healthier food and beverage choices. Millennials are leading the way. In December, 73% of this cohort said they plan on choosing healthier foods and drinks over the next month.
How Consumers Get Groceries
Measuring Food Insecurity
Home Cooking Trends
Consumers Who Tried New Recipes This Month
Frequency of Using Restaurant Types
Trends in Alcohol Consumption Frequency
Trends in Alcohol Consumption Frequency by Gender
Consumers’ Healthy Eating and Drinking Habits
Consumer Diet Preferences
Source of This Data
Methodology
The Morning Consult Food and Beverage Monthly Trend Tracker relies on Morning Consult’s proprietary survey research capabilities. The interviews are conducted online, and the data are weighted to approximate a representative sample of U.S. adults based on gender, educational attainment, age, race and region. Results from the full survey have a monthly sample size of 2,200 U.S. adults and an unweighted margin of error of +/-2 percentage points.
About Morning Consult
Morning Consult is a global decision intelligence company changing how modern leaders make smarter, faster, better decisions. The company pairs its proprietary high-frequency data with applied artificial intelligence to better inform decisions on what people think and how they will act. Learn more at morningconsult.com.
The author would like to thank Emily Moquin and Megan Lynott for their contributions to this research.
Nicki Zink is deputy head of Industry Analysis. Her team identifies trends affecting key demographics across food & beverage, travel & hospitality and financial services. Prior to joining Morning Consult, Nicki served as the head of digital intelligence at Purple Strategies, a corporate reputation and strategy firm. She graduated from Miami University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication. For speaking opportunities and booking requests, please email [email protected].
