There's seemingly no end to stories about how US consumers are coping (or not) with the nation's coronavirus pandemic. Yet how does life in this "new normal" impact decisions about such topics as dinner and diets?

By virtue of their upbringing, Gen Zs are unintentional foodies and were brought up in a culture that talks about, celebrates, and entertains with food, according to the recently release NPD report, Make it Happen for Gen Zs.

The decision on what to eat in terms of sugary foods varies by generations.

According to the NPD report, 20 million consumers who are current, lapsed, or new to online grocery shopping plan to increase their virtual shopping for foods and beverages over the next six months. 

As awareness grows more consumers recognize that GMOs have benefits in producing better and more resilient crops, but for many of those aware the benefits don’t outweigh their worry, making GMOs the fastest growing food additive concern, according to new NPD Group research.

Boomers, ages 60 and up, on the other hand, decreased their consumption of fresh vegetables by 30% and frozen vegetables by 4% over the same period.

There are 72 fewer in- or away from home occasions per person annually when a purchased beverage is consumed today than there was a decade ago. It’s not that consumers are only drinking tap water; there are still about 1100 beverage occasions per person a year, which equates to about 3 non-tap water drinks a day, according to NPD Group’s continual tracking of US consumer’s eating and drinking behaviors.

Craft coffee brewing, like using pour over cones, French presses, and vacuum brewers, is how 11% of US young adults, ages 18 and over, brew their coffee at home

NPD Group, which has tracked food safety concerns in the US since 2001, indicates that in 2006, 66% agreed with the statement that foods sold in supermarkets are safe, and in 2016 (thru August) only 58% of adults agree with the statement.

Trial of meal kits is still relatively low with 3% of the US adult population (18 and older) trying a meal kit delivery service within the last year.