Millennials are a generation of influencers. Their influence is causing a ripple effect in today’s consumer trends especially those concentrated around food. Millennials are more conscious of food health than generations past, as well as more invested in finding food adventures; food that delivers a new flavor or new take on healthy indulgences. This is especially true now that Millennials are growing up and starting families of their own. As parents, the Millennial Mindset® take on food is now being shifted towards fruit and vegetable consumption.
About one in four Millennials are already parents, meaning they are influencing what their families eat and are contributing to the eating patterns and habits that will guide the next generation of consumers. However, we cannot forget that as Millennials become older, their own parents are becoming more reliant on them creating a bottom-up pyramid of influence when it comes to food and nutrition trends.
I had the opportunity to speak with Elizabeth Pivonka, the President and CEO of Produce for Better Health (PBH).  PBH has done extensive research on fruit and vegetable trends, influence, and consumption across different generations.
Although the partnership between parents today is much more balanced, according to Pivonka, moms are still responsible for the majority of time spent shopping, planning, making and cleaning up a meal for the family. This makes moms top influencers of macro and micro food trends in the home that health food brands must to pay attention to.
How she is getting her information?

Young mothers today embrace the Internet as their key information source. According to the 2014 Outlook on the Millennial Consumer Report, Millennials use online information for exposure purposes, but still value personal recommendations as a key purchase influencer.  However, as the mindset for Millennial moms evolves, so does the Internet.  The lines of exposure and personal recommendations blur with one another creating an overarching macro trend called Momsourcing. Momsourcing is when moms create online forums (e.g. blogs, websites) and utilize their social profiles to educate one another, share tips, product reviews, and personal experiences.  Moms now have access to multiple one-stop-shops for information and personal recommendations from trusted mothers just like them.
How does her community influence her decision?
Mom’s responsibility to shop, plan, make and clean up a meal is not the end of her dinner duty; she is also concerned about the nutrition she provides for her family, making fruits and vegetables a major focus when it comes to dinnertime. As sustainable diets continue to gain popularity among young families today, many millennials are focusing less on calories and more on where their food comes from.
For Millennials, locally grown produce is a reflection of their personality, which is a major purchase driver. The drive to purchase local also stems from the Millennial desire to help support local communities. This is a trend that is especially strong among Millennial moms. By buying locally, Millennials believe that they can support not just their local businesses and farmers, but also their local economy.
“The emphasis on local is growing so much that many programs have been implemented to meet this demand,” said Pivonka.
How can you play into her desire for convenience and variety?
The parental desire for brands to help make their lives more simple is nothing groundbreaking or new, but still affects the way Millennial parents shop today.
“The most important factor to impact the food industry in the past 50 years is the increased number of women in the work force,” said Pivonka. “Their busy schedules are forcing food and produce brands to rethink the way they are offering new convenient meal preparation options.”
According to research from PBH that has tracked the attitudes of mothers since 2007, moms indicated that they find eating fruits and vegetables enjoyable but also a chore. This mentality easily transitions into the preparation of fruits and vegetables for the entire family.  In support, the Millennial Consumer Report agrees that reducing the chore aspect of cooking healthy meals is vital to increased Millennial parent participation. The report states, “convenience in saving time and energy is one of the key drivers for Millennials with children while preparing food.”
A great opportunity for fruit and vegetable brands is to tap into this desire for convenience and connect with these fast-paced moms by offering single-serving products that are ready to be packed in their children’s lunch boxes such as pre-cut fruit and vegetables, pre-made vegetable sets, fruit cups, raisins, and 100 percent juice boxes that, when frozen, double as a nice ice pack in the lunch box.
The Millennial mom is a busy woman that looks for convenient ways to provide her family with the right nutrition to fulfill a healthy lifestyle. To stay relevant with this Millennial consumer, valuable digital content and partnerships with popular mom blogs will allow for easier access to Momsourcing opportunities.  As more Millennial women are becoming mothers every day, ignoring the influence and desire of this growing demographic could be detrimental to your brand’s future success and impact.