FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICAGO, Ill.) Who knew that tweens crave sushi? Or that it may not be so hard, after all, to get kids to eat healthy?
If school foodservice professionals didn't know such surprising palate pleasers before, they do now, thanks to a new online survey of nearly 1,800 youngsters between the ages of 5 and 15 from across the nation. According to research conducted by Chicago-based Y-Pulse, LLC, children and young adults still savor traditional favorites like chicken nuggets, pizza, and soda, but a large and growing number clamor for more seemingly grown-up fare, including seafood, salads, fruits, vegetables and a wide range of ethnic foods and flavors ranging from empanadas to pesto.
Indeed, all of the buzz about globally inspired flavors impacting everyday food choices is evident in this survey of children, tweens and teens around the country. Sushi was, in fact, mentioned by several youngsters when asked to list their favorite foods. "I like it because it's exotic," reported one student, while others noted that sushi "tastes so good" and "is amazing."
Perennially popular regional cuisines like Italian and Mexican, with dishes like pasta, pizza, enchiladas, burritos and empanadas, were most commonly cited by the young respondents to the Y-Pulse survey. That said, many students revealed their surprising next-generation palates by answering that they enjoy foods from countries such as Pakistan, Thailand, India, and Cuba. Meanwhile, local favorite foods in the United States are also on the minds and wishful menus of many youngsters, including New Orleans-style gumbo, Southern cheesy grits and Midwestern barbecue ribs, among those who live in those parts of the countries and those who do not.
In addition to foods that reflect the global melting pot, the Y-Pulse online survey underscores the fact that today's youngsters are not only aware of health and nutrition but actually enjoy eating foods deemed good for them. Salads, for example, were frequently mentioned as favorite foods, as were fruits spanning from traditional apples to more exotic mangoes. The desire for healthy foods is so strong among some children – particularly older kids – that when asked how they can improve their school cafeterias, several respondents said they would like to see more healthy items on their breakfast or lunch menu throughout the day.
"The fact that some youths put sushi at the top of their favorite food list and so many respondents are health-conscious highlights the challenges and opportunities facing today's foodservice professionals," remarked Sharon Olson, partner with Y-Pulse, LLC.
Y-Pulse, LLC is a research and consulting firm that specializes in helping companies in the food business better understand tomorrow's tastemakers today. It is a certified Women's Business Enterprise, with offices located in Chicago, IL and Kansas City, MO. For more information on Y-Pulse, their services offered or upcoming studies, please contact
info@ypulse.org, at 312.280.9061. Y-Pulse is a registered trademark of Y-Pulse LLC.