Progressive Grocer - March 2010 - (Page 49)

Consumer Insight The Lempert Report The ‘Koodies’ are Here The next wave of gourmands will be children demanding that their adventurous palates be satiated. By Phil Lempert oodie - (kÿÿdãï) n. [Slang] a kid keenly interested in food, especially eating, cooking or watching reruns of Julia Child. A kid who has an ardent or refined interest in food; a mini-gourmet; usually trained by one or both parents to have an unusual, and sometimes fanatic, desire to eat unusual foods. Evolution from the now-defunct word "foodie." There’s a new kid in town, and instead of the same old chicken nuggets and French fries, this kid wants sushi, pad Thai, or smoked salmon in his or her Happy Meal! Such foods may not be menu options yet, but the truth is that America is beginning to see a more sophisticated and adventurous palate in its children. Nancy Tringali Piho’s book, “My Two-YearOld Eats Octopus: Raising Children Who Love to Eat Everything,” has been gaining attention from the media, along with Matthew AmsterBurton’s “Hungry Monkey:A Food-Loving Father’s Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater” and Emily Franklin’s “Too Many Cooks: Kitchen Adventures with 1 Mom, 4 Kids, and 102 Recipes.”All three of these books are born from a generation of foodie parents that wants to share its love of food with its children. With moms and dads increasingly interested in honing their own culinary skills and approaching food preparation as a hobby or enjoyable activity, their children are in turn sharing in a More ONLINE K family culinary experience that goes beyond popping a box in the microwave. This new family experience lays the groundwork for more positive associations with food instead of the negative associations that can come from hurried, hectic schedules and last-minute power struggles over what to eat. Generational Change For additional consumer insights, visit www.progressivegrocer.com. Parents have the biggest influence on their children’s taste buds and set the basis for their eating practices for life. Our nation’s children are deep-set in an obesity crisis. A series of cookbooks and guides has emerged, attempting to teach parents how to hide healthy foods in their kids’ meals to “sneak” good nutrition into their diets.That’s not the answer. Raising a generation of “Koodies,” however, just might be. While some may snicker at the thought of a generation of kids who find discussing the subtle differences between white and black truffles more enjoyable than collecting the latest Bakugan releases, the truth is that unless we can instill a deeper understanding of where our foods come from and how to prepare them, it’s unlikely that we’ll ever reverse food-related A H E A D O F W H AT ’ S N E X T diseases and obesity. Our future might just rest in the skillets and bowls of the “Koodies.” Food and cooking shows are now more popular than ever, and chefs continue to achieve rock-star status. Food blogging and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter prove that interest in food is alive and well, as do the tens of thousands of teen-made food videos on YouTube, which include recipes, product reviews, nutrition advice and even food songs. Our country’s techsavvy children have at their fingertips a voice in the new media, which they understand how to use all too well. As these new “Koodies” evolve, look for both CPG brands and restaurants to make their kids’ meals more nutritious, and to offer foods that aren’t boring but offer a genuine culinary experience. Retailers can use this opportunity as well to offer in-store tastings for children to try new things, recipe demonstrations that are fun for kids, or parent/child foodie events that encourage family time as well as enjoying food together. Phil Lempert is one of the nation’s leading trend analysts and consumerologists, and is a contributor to NBC’s “Today” show and ABC news. He is also editor of The Lempert Report and SupermarketGuru.com, host of weekly videos on Progressivegrocer.com,and a columnist for AARP, iVillage and Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine.Contact him at Phil@SupermarketGuru.com. Progressive Grocer • March 2010 • www.progressivegrocer.com http://www.SupermarketGuru.com http://www.Progressivegrocer.com http://www.progressivegrocer.com http://www.progressivegrocer.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Progressive Grocer - March 2010

Progressive Grocer - March 2010
Table of Contents
Nielsen’s Shelf Stoppers/ Spotlight: Dairy/Yogurt
Green Grocer Awards 2010: Seeing Green
Multicultural Marketing: Use Your Common Census
Harold Lloyd on … “Making a Difference”: The Employee’s First 30 Days: It’s Now or Never
The Lempert Report: Enter the ‘Koodies’
Independent Retailing: Keep Cash Flowing With Trade Terms
Progressive Grocer’s 2010 Meat Operations Review: Value on a Platter
Progressive Grocer’s 2010 Seafood Operations Review: Seafood Hits its Stride
Executive Insight Series: Lasting Impressions: Forward Thinking
Produce: Tracking the Transition to Traceability
Meat: Heinen’s Freshens up Service Benchmarks
Natural/Organic: Nature’s Best on Ice: Natural and Organic Frozen Foods
Frozen/Dairy: Cold and Colder: Trends in Frozen and Dairy
Baby Food: Green to Grow On
Green Promotions: Along for the Ride
Foodservice: Loaded for Bar
Case Study: Clean Carts
What’s Next: Editors’ Picks for Innovative Products

Progressive Grocer - March 2010