Millennials have always been dubbed as the driving force behind today’s trends. There are an estimated 80 million millennials in the United States today, and until they hit their 40s or 50s, their presence in society would remain as relevant as ever.
The food industry is one of the main sectors of the economy that has been impacted by this millennial generation. Collectively creative and with a massive entrepreneurial spirit, millennials have changed how the nation looks at food. As tastemakers and advocates for change, they’ve made plant-based and organic food a movement. It’s either you’re in and you’re out — and as they’ve proven to their fast food-loving counterparts in recent years, it’s cooler to be on their side. Below are some trends that are changing fast food industries today:
Healthy grains and more fiber
Americans as a whole are thankfully embracing the healthy eating trend and the market is actually one of the top “whole grain eaters” in the world. As a health and nutrition savvy market, Americans understand that increasing their dietary fiber intake daily can help them combat and prevent obesity — the country’s top health epidemic — as well as high blood, stroke, heart disease, and asthma.
Meat alternatives and ethical sourcing
As we face another exponential population boom in the next decade, experts warn that it is possible that the world’s hunger problem would even worsen. This may sound inconsequential at this point, but experts recommend that an answer to this predicament could be eating plant-based food. Good thing that a growing majority of the population is voluntarily switching to veggie-based meat, and fueling the demand for it. Responding to the rising demand for meatless substitutes, Burger King, Hooters, Little Caesar, White Castle, TGI Fridays and many more have offered pea or soy-based meat patties and slices for their burgers and pizzas.
Greaseless, salt-less and more spice
As keto, paleo and vegan diets become even more famous for dieters and people who want to lose weight, oil alternatives such as MCT oil or coconut oil will be the norm. Herbs and spices will also become the salt alternative of choice to make flavorful recipes. Remember when sriracha was all the rage? The same fervor for new, healthier spices and ingredients will be adopted by the fast-food industry.
Starting a healthy fast food franchise
Establishing a healthy fast food franchise has become an attractive and lucrative option for entrepreneurs who would like to take advantage of the current healthy eating fad. As more global conglomerates take a leaf from small-scale restaurants, hardcore, greasy food-centered joints should consider re-examining their current menu and business model to remain relevant.
If you want to franchise a restaurant food chain, consider looking into types of cuisines that incorporate a lot of vegetables and healthy ingredients. Mexican cuisine is one example of international cuisine that uses a lot of green, leafy vegetables, beans and legumes, lycopene-rich vegetables such as carrots and tomatoes, as well as veggie-based sauces. If you want healthy food, you can never go wrong with Mexican food.
What’s great about franchising nowadays is that more and more companies are making this type of business model available to first-time entrepreneurs. The parent company of the franchise, or the franchisor, offers end-to-end support to the franchisee, from conducting feasibility studies and market research to forecasting.
What you’ve read are just some examples of healthy fast food trends that are growing increasingly popular lately. If you’re interested to start a food business this year, or are considering to franchise one, make sure that your chosen niche is not only on-trend but is also healthy and timeless as well.
