Feeding Gen Z involves embracing the discord

Gen Z’s spending power is on the rise. And their food habits are distinct but also full of contradictions that pose exciting challenges for the industry. 

Recent research conducted by Lifesum, an app that helps users eat healthier, zeroed in on what Gen Z cares about. The 2024 State of Healthy Eating and Wellbeing Report surveyed 10,000 respondents and showed that Gen Z is health-conscious and seeks out functional nutrition to improve their holistic wellness, according to Lifesum CEO Markus Falk. The report showed that 73% of Gen Z eat for enhanced energy, 61% for improved mental health, and 40% for better sleep.

“As a result, food producers should prioritize creating healthier alternatives and offering options that achieve specific health goals. Innovations in personalized nutrition, such as customizable functional health meal kits, will ensure that food producers are appealing to the individual health and well-being needs of Gen Z and their fast-paced lives,” Falk said. 

Offering nutritious, environmentally friendly, and ethically-produced options resonates the most with Gen Z’s values, Falk added.  

A generation that loves to snack

But, Gen Z isn’t too healthy to snack.

Brian Camen, senior director of content and public relations at Ferrara Candy Company, which owns Nerds, Sweet Tarts, and other classics, said Gen Z is also game for more adventurous tastes.

“Our Gen Z fans are also eager for new innovations,” he said.

Both Trolli and Nerds’ core target is Gen Z consumers, Camen said, noting that Trolli was named one of Gen Z’s favorite brands in a consumer report by Morning Consult in 2022. 

The generation loves candy but also wants nutritious options. Gen Z might reject previous generations’ infatuation with diet culture but this group sees the value in health as well as in some sweet indulgence. 

“We believe enjoying and sharing candy can play a role as part of a balanced lifestyle,” Camen said.

A generation that likes to home cook, but it has to be convenient

Gen Z wants to cook at home more than other generations, according to Binuka De Silva, COO of Nomad Spice Blends in Los Angeles. 

“They are rediscovering the art of cooking at home and providing easy-to-use, convenient, pre-mixed blended seasoning goes hand in hand with what Gen Z is looking for in a product we found in market research,” De Silva said. 

He recommends food producers have an open mind in targeting this market.

“Gen Z thinks about their spending differently from other generations,” Silva said. “It’s all about their personal experience using the product, and not as much other usual factors like cost or ease of buying.” 

Eating their supplements

Some food producers are capitalizing on Gen Z’s drive for health, along with their affinity for snacking, through snackable supplements.

Emre Imamoglu, co-founder and CEO of Cibo Vita, Inc., including Nature’s Garden brand in Totowa, New Jersey, and their Nature’s Garden Probiotic Yoggies come in Strawberry, Mixed Berry and additional flavors will be launching this year.  They are real fruit bites, surrounded by yogurt.

“We aimed to make probiotics more accessible for everyone, challenging the conventional perception of them as pharmaceutical supplements or dairy aisle ‘fix it’ kind of product. Our goal was to seamlessly integrate probiotics into daily routines with minimal effort,” Imamoglu said. 

The brand targets both ends of the range of Gen Z, from older kids to new parents who might be looking for healthy snack options for their young kids.