Of all chain restaurants and fast food places, McDonald's once again takes the top spot for Gen Z and Millennials.
For one, Gen Z is the most likely age group to eat at fast-food restaurants frequently – 26% dine at fast-food chains weekly, and another 40% do so monthly (compared to 22% and 32% of the Gen Pop).
Young people, like people of all ages, enjoy burgers, pizza, chicken, sandwiches, salad, and fruit. And the younger they are, the more simple they like it, according to restaurant-hospitality.com. From middle school and beyond, their tastes broaden to include more flavors, combinations, and global variety.
In a 2022 poll by Morning Consult, 13% of 1,000 US Gen Z respondents said that chicken was their favorite food, ahead of steak, burgers, sushi, and fries and behind only pizza. Chicken-sandwich brand Chick-fil-A also came top in Piper Sandler's fall 2022 survey of restaurant brands among teens.
Although many Generation Z consumers are thoughtful about food and consumption, 77 percent of them still enjoy snacking at least once a day. Over 80 percent of Gen Z consumers prefer snacking on chips, making them the most popular snack among Gen Z consumers by far, followed by cookies and chocolate.
Like millennials, Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012), are more likely to prioritize eating healthy and getting regular exercise, however, they also prioritize their mental health and managing stress.
Gen Z moms feel less confident.
They put more emphasis on being the "perfect mom" compared to Millennials, and they strive to reach more parenting ideals, from keeping kids busy to owning the scheduling for the entire family.
Nearly 90 percent of North American Millennials cooked meals at home in 2022, according to a recent survey. In contrast, only 73 percent of Gen Z cooked their own meals. Other cooking activities were also more popular among Millennials.
It starts with what values are important to Gen Z'ers and moves into what brands and products they rate. “Teens feel that being cool is about just being yourself, embracing what you love, rejecting what you don't, and being kind to others.”
Basics that allow for lots of variety. While every group of teenagers will include some picky eaters, Gen Z is already shown to be pretty adventurous in their eating choices. Yes, they tend to like the classics you'd find in restaurants throughout America.
Morning Consult asked Gen Z an open-ended question: What's your favorite food? Roughly 20% mentioned pizza. Following pizza, Gen Z cited favorites like chicken (13%), pasta (11%), burgers (7%) and sushi (6%).
They're impulsive. Another weakness of Gen Z is that they can be quite impulsive. With instant gratification being so easily accessible, this generation has difficulty waiting for anything. They want what they want and they want it now!
Gen Z also faces an unprecedented behavioral health crisis: US Gen Zers surveyed by McKinsey report the least positive outlook and the highest prevalence of mental illness of any generation, and European respondents report struggling with self-stigma.
They're avid gamers. If there's one thing this generation loves to do, it's game. It's a hugely popular pastime for this group, particularly gaming on smartphones. Almost 9 in 10 Gen Z game on any device.
Compared with older generations, Gen Z were more likely to be motivated to follow a diet or eating pattern to improve their physical appearance, better manage a health condition, improve their relationship with food, and to follow the federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) and/or MyPlate ...
Gen Zers are drinking less than young people in past generations: about 20 percent less alcohol per capita than millennials did at their age, according to a report from Berenberg Research. And many are forgoing booze entirely.
Gen Z are most commonly defined as those born between 1997 to 2012.
Members of the Gen Z years were born between 1997 and 2012. So as of 2023, the Gen Z age range is anywhere from 11 to 26. They are commonly referred to as the first fully “digitally native” generation. They grew up with social media and smartphones—they're used to living in a digital-first world.
Gen Z workers, aged between 18 and 26, make up about 35% of those wanting to quit, while millennials (aged 27 to 42) are another 31%.
Gen-Z drink on average 20% less than millenials, who also drink less than the previous generation, mainly because of an increased awareness of the dangers and effects of alcohol and the rise of health-consciousness as a lifestyle.
They tend to play it safe. That's very like the Silent gen. In fact, Time magazine gave Silents their name because they played it safe, keeping their heads down and not speaking out about issues like McCarthyism and civil rights. Silents were shaped by the Great Depression when millions of Americans lost their jobs.
According to Cigna International Health's 2023 survey of almost 12,000 workers around the world, 91% of 18-to-24-year-olds report being stressed – compared to 84% on average. Research indicates Gen Z are emerging as the most stressed demographic in the workplace, and struggling mightily to cope.
The younger generation is being infantilised well into adulthood. A new survey reveals that only 55% of Gen Z and millennials plan to have children. One in four of those surveyed, aged between 18 and 34, has ruled out parenthood entirely, with the most common reason cited being “wanting time for themselves”.
In particular, Gen Z trusts influencers more than ever before due to their relatability and unbiased opinions. Influencers often engage with their followers in various ways, from hosting meet-ups to live streaming their daily lives on social media platforms.