• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, August 13, 2010

When it comes to food choices among twenty-somethings -- a/k/a Gen Y or Millennials -- cravings, convenience and cost rule, according to recent research from The NPD Group.

Having grown up in a time of rapid technological change, coupled with new societal norms, Millennials are "connected like no generation before them," confident, and tend to have an "of the moment" mentality, notes NPD food and beverage industry analyst Darren Seifer.

As a result, Millennials are more likely than other age groups to heed cravings -- and to highly value minimal preparation time -- when it comes to food and meal choices.

They are more likely than consumers in other age groups to use frozen entrées and other portable, quick-prep items, and this translates to low consumption of leftovers. A typical Millennial consumes just 68 meals per year that contain leftover food, compared to 82 such meals consumed on average by adults in their 30's and 40's (Gen X), 79 by younger Boomers, 93 by older Boomers and 114 by seniors, according to National Eating Trends, NPD's ongoing tracking of consumer eating behaviors.

Cost control is also a major driver of Millennials' food choices. This age group has been among the hardest-hit by the recession: The unemployment rate for adults under 30 was 19.5% in this year's first quarter, or more than double the 9.5% average for the workforce as a whole, points out Seifer.

In addition to choosing relatively low-cost frozen foods and other convenience products, young adults are heavy patrons of low-priced retailers. One-third of Millennials shop at Walmart and other mass merchants, compared to 23% of total adults, according to the Eating Trends data.

For food CPGs and restaurant marketers, major opportunities -- and challenges -- lie in learning how to communicate effectively with this "connected" generation, as well as offering products and meal/snack solutions that fit their spontaneous, budget-conscious lifestyles, sums up Seifer.