Food bloggers surveyed by FullTilt Marketing identified simple ingredients, specialty diets and online grocery shopping as among the relevant trends for 2019.
This is the second year the company has reached out to food bloggers for their feedback on how much various trends resonate with their audiences.
“When it comes to consumer trends, food bloggers offer a unique perspective,” FullTilt managing partner Heidi McIntyre said in a news release. “They are constantly monitoring the responses to their recipe posts, engaging with their followers and keeping tabs on other food bloggers, which gives them an edge in understanding consumer preferences.”
The group indicated that whole, fresh, local items are what consumers want. Conversely, they do not want artificial ingredients or genetically modified products or ingredients.
“It’s not surprising to see growing consumer awareness about the food they eat, especially related to where it’s from, who grew it (or) made it and what’s in it,” Melinda Goodman, managing partner of FullTilt, said in the release. “Today’s consumer has access to more information than ever before, and we are entering a new era of consciousness that has consumers considering a holistic view of health, wellness and even community and economic impact.”
Specialty diets like Whole 30, keto, paleo and others continue to see high interest, with consumers looking for shopping lists and meal plans that fit those lifestyles. People also describe health goals beyond weight loss, including looking for options that provide an energy boost or a whole-body reboot.
Bloggers also relayed that top criteria for meals are fast and easy to prepare; healthy, including more fruits and vegetables; and something everyone will eat.
Shopping habits were another area bloggers discussed, and nearly 40% said they are buying more groceries online this year.
Technology is also being used more in physical stores; 25% of bloggers said they are using hand-held devices or self-checkout.
Another recurring theme among bloggers was a desire for straightforward messaging by food companies.
“What is clear from the survey is consumers have an expectation to be better informed,” Goodman said in the release. “72% of bloggers told us that they felt brands were doing a better job of being more transparent, but those results came with a healthy dose of skepticism where bloggers shared comments that they also felt that transparency was cloaked in telling them what they wanted to hear and they weren’t sure what information they could trust.”
For more insights from the bloggers surveyed by FullTilt, check out the full report here.