(NAPSI)—Much has been written about millennials and their impact on society. It appears their influence extends to diet and nutrition—and may help make fruits and vegetables more accessible and convenient for everyone.
Millennials prefer fruits and vegetables over grains and meats. That’s according to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which analyzed food-buying data by generation. Millennials—those born between 1981 and the mid-2000s—are now the largest, most diverse living generation and their purchasing behavior heavily influences the retail landscape.
U.S. consumption of fresh produce grew steadily at about 1.3 percent between 2011 and 2016, and moderate annual gains will continue through 2021.1 As eating habits have evolved across the generations, so have recommendations regarding what constitutes a healthy diet. Current nutritional guidelines encourage consumers to make half their lunch fruits and vegetables, and to include whole grains, protein and dairy at each meal.2
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet can help protect against a number of serious and costly chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and obesity. Fruits and vegetables also provide important vitamins and minerals that help the human body work as it should to fight off illness and disease.3
Convenience is key
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one way to help people consume more fruits and vegetables is to make them convenient and affordable in the places where children and adults live, work, learn and play.
One exciting new development in the quest to make fruits and vegetables more convenient and accessible are ultrafirm watermelons. This unique line of CrispFresh watermelon varieties from Syngenta combines processing efficiency and end-product innovation opportunities. CrispFresh varieties stay fresher and firmer longer, making innovations like watermelon fries possible.
For generations, Syngenta has been innovating to meet the needs of growers around the world. Sluis & Groot, a legacy company of Syngenta, was founded in 1867 in the Netherlands as exporters of cabbage seeds. Today, Syngenta is one of the world’s leading vegetable seed companies, with 30 crop species and 2,500 varieties.
The principles upheld by its founders years ago continue to inspire Syngenta today: produce superior vegetable seeds and invest in research and development to continually offer the best in the industry, which today extends to making fruits and vegetables tastier—and more convenient and accessible.
-style:normal'>1 Fresh Produce: U.S. Market Trends and Opportunities, as published by Packaged Facts (www.packagedfacts.com)
-style:normal'>2 USDA
-style:normal'>3 Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2013
-style:normal'>©2018 Syngenta.
