ASEAN SME NEWS

 
Latest ASEAN news

Millennial health, wellness trends cited

WGSN, the world’s leading consumer trend forecaster, has cited opportunities across food, drinks and snacks to help millennials achieve their health and wellness goals as they age.

Katharine Schub, WGSN Food and Drink Strategist, said convenient lifestyle diets and multi-gen wellness are among the key trends in 2025.

“Aligning with our Restorative Guardians, draw on Millennials’ interest in niche diets while offering products that fit into their routines,” she said in a sample report.   

Schub said millennials are following specific diets, with plant-based, vegan, grain-free, gluten-free or FODMAP(fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) top of mind.

“As functional foods continue to interest this cohort, make products more accessible with ingredients from consumers’ pantries and kitchens,” she said.

On meals and snacks, the report urged businesses to partner with niche nutrition influencers on branded meals that make it easy for consumers to adhere to specific diets.

They can also offer fresh-prepared or frozen meals with short ingredient lists and no added sugar or develop drinks that feel more nourishing by highlighting whole-food ingredients.

“Make ingredient lists the focus of a product’s branding,” it said. “Display certifications on pack(s) (such as organic, non-GMO) to boost health credentials.”

Schub further said millennials also seek multigenerational healthful products as some of them have caregiving responsibilities for both children and parents or older relatives.

She said 90 percent of US millennials are willing to purchase protein powder containing ingredients made with precision fermentation.

“Explore advanced protein fortification across categories,” she added. “Make fiber, specifically prebiotic, more approachable via fun and kid-friendly textures and flavors.”

Schub further said brands can draw on global and nostalgic comfort foods rooted in millennial childhood.

“Develop products that can be personalized across different household members,” she said. “Create DIY (do-it-yourself), build-your-own meal kits to offer engaging activities for parents and their children.” 

December 27, 2023