New Food Consumption Trend in USA

It is no doubt that Hispanics are a large and quickly growing group in USA. Besides changing the labor structure of USA, they are also influencing national consumption trends over the next 10 years. Therefore, food marketers who wish to stay ahead in the industry should never lose attention to this group of people.

Hispanics are influencing the national consumption pattern in two categories: breakfast and side dished during dinner.

Breakfast

According to a one-year study conducted by Chicago-based NPD's NET (National Eating Trends) Hispanic, 12% of Hispanics' breakfasts include non-toasted bread, which counts only 2% of non-Hispanics' breakfast. However, other foods are used less in Hispanics' breakfasts, such as hot cereal, which gas a 10% share in non-Hispanics' breakfast, 4% more than that in Hispanics'.

This shift should be good news for bread makers and bakery departments, who should make efforts to get connected with Hispanics as soon as possible. However, this shift is not absolutely bad news for cereal marketers. They can appeal to this group in ways that differ from traditional efforts. For example, the warm and convenient hot cereal will probably help because Hispanics are already consuming warm breakfasts at above average rates

Side Dishes during Dinner

Compared to non-Hispanics, Hispanics eat rice more often at lunch and dinner. During a period when side dish consumption was declining across all major categories, both plain and flavored rice were included in more meals as a side dish among the overall population.

The choices for food of Hispanics are very possibly a result of traditions. When asked to describe how frequently Latino/Hispanic traditions are followed in their homes, 96% of Hispanic respondents indicated that they always/often/sometimes follow these traditions when planning and serving meals for the household.

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