foodbag.be, Flanders' first start-up in fresh food e-commerce, wanted insights into the eating and consumption habits of Flemish Millennials with kids and their view on online food services. And because we just love to share insights, here are some of them. 

Everybody’s busy

The world is running at full speed, and that’s no different for Millennial parents. It is not because they have babies or toddlers, that their hobbies and interests automatically die out. This Generation Slash wants it all. While previous generations of parents plunged into their sofa or bed after their parental chores, this generation is still trying to live the life they had before they had children. Going out, learning a new skill or working late. FOMO lures behind every corner.

Quality time as a life hack

Time is the new luxury. That’s why young parents love the idea of time saving life hacks, or tips to get more out of the little time they have. Millennials tell us how they love to cook together with their kids. That sounds like there are plenty of opportunities to facilitate and inspire them… As for the benefits of e-food services, respondents saw opportunities in introducing them to new produce and dishes, or help them to cook with more variety.

No meat days

Although a vegetarian diet is more exceptional than expected, almost half of household choose to have a no meat day from time to time. More and more young parents are aware that what and how you eat determines who you are or who you want to be. So little by little they try to change their habits.

It’s healthy to have kids.

Gen Y just love to detox, but they love to intox quite as much. Having kids tempers this intox-detox mentality (see next paragraph as well), as for more than half of households, children are the reason to start a healthier lifestyle.  57% will serve less ready-to-eat food, 46% will eat on a more strict schedule and 42% cooks more varied meals, while 37% has been cooking with more fresh products since they became parents.

Also good to know: a diets that is varied, rich in vitamins, fresh and low-fat is considered as healthy.

Let it go (once in while)

Gen Y dares to let go. Raising perfect children is not their ultimate goal. Young parents want to be human and honest towards themselves again. Away with keeping up appearances and perfection. This attitude also applies to nutrition and exercise. Ice creams and pizza are also part of a child’s life, and no baby will become a lesser human because it ate a prefabricated pot meal once in a while.

Value driven

Although organic food is indeed associated with a healthy lifestyle, young parents are not consistently using them in the kitchen. Airmiles and eco footprint also matter to this value driven generation. That’s why produce from the local farmer seem to taste better than those coming from a Kiwi organic farmer.

Not so digital after all…

More than three quarters of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish are bought in supermarkets. So it seems they’re still quite the place to be to buy food for the whole family. Moreover, 76% of respondents stated to have never ordered online fresh food before. Surprising for Generation Any Time, Any Where, Any Device, isn’t it?

Millennials are the so-called digital natives. They have witnessed the emergence and democratization of the Internet and digital communication from the frontline. No wonder you expect a complete digital mind-set. Well it is the case, but only partially. Physical experiences - such as going around in a supermarket to draw inspiration from what we see, smell and taste - is also valuable. Grocery shopping can be perceived as a part of the whole cooking ritual, a moment of real time in a world that flashes you by. We call it the Slowcial trend, or the emerging desire for a real, tangible, offline world.

 

Conclusion: e-food service might face some challenges in the near future. Wondering what solutions we have in mind? Drop us a word, we’re wolves but we don’t bite.