Plant Based Nutrition and the Digital Age

Food was once merely sustenance– the fuel we required to gain the energy to do our work, live our lives, and care for the people in our communities. Technology has altered the human experience in various aspects. As smartphones and social media transformed the way we communicate and connect, they also expanded the role of food in people's lives, Eve Turow-Paul states, the author of Hungry: Avocado Toast, Instagram Influencers and Our Search for Connection and Meaning, said during her keynote at the Plant Based World Expo in New York City.

The Hungry Study, an original survey of 1,100 Americans across demographics, was created by Eve Turow-Paul, author and Millennial food culture expert, and Datassential, the food industry's leading market research firm. The Hungry Study investigates the impact of the Digital Age on human behavior, as well as the COVID pandemic. The findings link people's emotional states and food behaviors, such as the link between anxiety and anti-GMO sentiments, technology use and snacking, or desires for meaning in life and restrictive dieting. The Hungry Study revealed that the current generation is heavily involved in social media outlets and crave deeper meaning when it comes to food experiences. Food plays a key role in their efforts to gain control of a world that often seems scary and unsafe.

The craving for control also led to learning more about food, nutrition and health, which naturally drove many to explore plant-based eating. Many young consumers are more likely to share pictures of their meals than actual meals with other people on a regular basis, even as they report a craving for community, love and belonging. Instagram-worthy meals can be a way of seeking social approval and what we eat can be “a sign of our values, identity and how we want to be seen,” Turow-Pau said. The wide range of sub communities in the plant-based movement also means people can feel a part of it even if they’re tailoring the meaning of plant-based to fit their lifestyles and preferences.

Celebrity chef and restaurateur, Spike Mendelsohn, talks about the way plant-based eating plays into three mega trends: the rise of snacking and comfort foods; plant-based foods hitting the mainstream; and the rise in eco-anxiety and fears about climate change. Many plant based food companies address these trends, thus satisfies the current generation’s concerns.

References

Janet Forgrieve Published: September 12, 2022. (n.d.). The changing face of plant-based dining in the Digital age. SmartBrief. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://corp.smartbrief.com/original/2022/09/the-changing-face-of-plant-based-dining-in-the-digital-age?utm_term=FD2EE7B6-A49A-4DEA-81D8-855C3CA00256&utm_campaign=2C5FF2EC-2736-4FC0-9968-00A78AB57148&utm_content=564C2