What's driving millennials' food choices: Whole Foods Survey

When it comes to food choices, millennials seek quality and they're willing to pay for it.

According to a new Whole Foods Market study, 80% of millennials value quality when it comes to food shopping, and nearly 70% are willing to spend more money on high quality foods.

Survey by: YouGov on behalf of Whole Foods Market

Methodology: An online survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults between the ages of 22 and 37, who passed an occupation security screening.

“We’re always striving to better understand our customers’ passions when it comes to food,” said Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, Whole Foods Market’s chief marketing officer in a press release. “Millennials don’t settle for just any food in their shopping carts, and neither do we. The stories of how food is produced and grown matter to them–and to us.

Key findings:

• A majority of millennials surveyed considered themselves to be “adventurous” eaters when it comes to food, and more than 60% make an effort to cook new dishes


• 63% of millennials said they tried to incorporate plant-based and unprocessed foods into their diets


• 50% of millennials buy more organic products than they did five years ago


• 52% restrict ingredients due to health reasons


• 65% of millennials said transparency in food sourcing was important, particularly for fresh meat and seafood


• More than 50% of millennials will pay more for products that have adopted animal welfare standards and prefer to buy those responsibly sourced