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By The Numbers: A Look at Gen Alpha

Consumer Insights, Ingredient Trends, Innovation, Menu Trends, Restaurants

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The kids of Generation Alpha, born between 2011 and 2024, are the first generation to be born solely in the 21st century and have already experienced massive global changes despite their young ages.

And because of their mostly millennial parents, Gen Alpha’s daily lives are already rich in stimuli, new experiences, and of course, food. They are YouTube and TikTok natives, and largely opt for more global flavors and food similar to their parents’ tastes than the chicken nuggets and buttered noodles usually linked with kids’ menus.

Here’s a closer look at this unique generation:

  • 35% of parents feed their Gen Alpha babies solid food and skipping purees entirely, thanks to an on-trend practice called baby-led feeding
  • 31% of Gen Alphas are already eating on-trend ingredients like plant-based foods (oat milk, Beyond Beef, etc.) several times a week
  • 84% of Gen Alpha’s are viewing content on YouTube, and 51% are on TikTok
  • 56% of Gen Alpha’s parents say they buy their kids new foods they’ve seen on TV or Online
  • 35% of food service operators say Gen Alpha is “very” or “extremely” important to their business

And here are some of Gen Alpha’s favorite foods:


Fastest-Growing
Dishes for Kids

Fastest-Growing
Ingredients and Sauces/Flavors for Kids
Beef Fajita Plant Based Chicken
Boneless Wing Wagyu
Mini Quesadilla Lemon Pepper
White Rice Sriracha
Pho Honey BBQ
Sweet Tea Chipotle
Tater Tot Chickpea
Chicken Quesadilla Vegan
Seasoned Fries Buffalo
Mini Pancake Feta

More on Gen Alpha can be found here.


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